Vecto, Crysilis, and Streamline sauntered through a park on Acaterra, or New Earth. They had just left the military police headquarters and were taking a shortcut to a subway station. Foliage towered over them as they strayed from the winding path onto dried grass and rocks.
"Aren't you bit worried that the military will come after us," Streamline asked. "Especially after the stunt Vecto did?"
"Nope," Crysilis said. "They won't attack us in public. Unless one of us does something criminal that makes the news, they don't want people to question why we attacked them. We're still the good guys in the public's eyes."
"Oh, good," Streamline said. His visor automatically darkened to prevent glare from the sun. Crysilis' visor did the same.
"Instead, they'll wait and try to assassinate us when we least expect it!" Crysilis said.
Streamline stopped walking for a second and shook his head. "Thanks for the reassurance."
"Well, it's all Vecto's fault!" Crysilis said. He vanished in mid-stride and reappeared a few steps ahead to walk beside Vecto. He arched his head. "Isn't that right, Vecto?"
All his fault? Vecto thought about the SS6 soldiers he had killed. Had their affiliation with Sable given him the right to take their lives? Vecto knew that Morphaal's resurrection was Sable's doing; therefore, he told himself, he had been right to administer justice.
Vecto's robotic mind tossed information around in a humanlike way. It seemed he couldn't help but review memory data of Gyro, his deceased friend. He remembered the first time he had met him. Vecto had joined the Magnatronian War eleven years ago in 3005, the year he was created. He had met Gyro on a rainy day on Gyro's home planet, Hodos-just outside of a military base. The ground was muddy black and the rain was heavy, obscuring the view of dome-shaped buildings. Gyro was young then and fresh in the military. He despised Acaterran robots because they invaded Hodos in a previous war.
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"We conquered Magus, Iados, and Hodos, and we will never bow to the Terrans!" Vecto recalled Gyro saying. Gyro snatched a knife from his side and stabbed Vecto in the head, grinding the sharp blade across Vecto's Force Field Shields. Yet Vecto stood, unmoved and unharmed.
"I am not afraid of you," Vecto replied.
It had been an inauspicious meeting, Vecto thought now, and yet over the years, Gyro had come to see Vecto as different from other robots. Perhaps it was because Vecto wasn't an Acaterran robot. Or perhaps it was because he had been created by a Dinishman, an ally of the Magnatronians during the war.
It was as if the two had been destined to meet. Gyro was the only one who understood him, the only one whom Vecto could rely on, the only being Vecto looked up to. It had already been a week, and he could still hardly process the fact of his death.
"Hey, Vecto. Are you even paying attention?" Crysilis' voice echoed through Vecto's head.
They now walked in a business sector of Acaterra, and Vecto bumped into a guy as they shuffled through a crowd.
Crysilis waved a hand in front of Vecto's face. "Acaterra beacons you. Come back to us!"
Vecto turned his attention to his A.S. companion.
"Just making sure you're all there," Crysilis said. "I never knew robots could daydream."
Vecto ignored his comment as he passed through the crowd.
"You know, you don't have to keep disguising yourself," Crysilis said as he followed behind Vecto's image of a human suit. "Sable's going to keep quiet in front of the public to avoid scrutiny."
Vecto stopped and faced Crysilis. He took a moment to glance around and motioned for Crysilis to do the same. "Just look around you. What do you see?"