Harper shielded his eyes from the desert sun, the horizon shimmering in the heat. His gaze landed on the oddest sight he’d seen in months—a towering robot, colorful and rusted, waddling toward him.

The robot's antenna twitched, and its feet clanked against the dusty ground, sending up puffs. Harper tightened his grip on his pack and glanced back at Thea, who was tinkering with their broken-down rover.

“Hey, Thea,” he called out. “You seeing this?”

She glanced up, grease smeared on her cheek, eyes narrowing as she focused on the approaching robot. “What the hell...?”

The robot stopped a few meters away, its large, round body casting a long shadow over Harper. Up close, it looked like a giant, colorful beetle—if beetles were patched together with metal plates and wires.

“Greetings, travelers!” came the robot’s surprisingly cheerful voice. “I am J4R-9, your friendly guide to the forbidden wastelands!”

Harper raised an eyebrow. “Friendly guide? We didn’t exactly request one.”

“Well, someone must have,” J4R-9 replied, antenna bobbing as if it were nodding. “I’ve been waiting for centuries, you know.”

Thea laughed. “Looks like you’ve been rusting for centuries too.”

J4R-9’s head swiveled toward her, one optic lens zooming in. “Rusted, perhaps. But my spirit remains unoxidized!”

Harper chuckled despite himself. “Alright, J4R-9. We’re trying to fix our rover. Any chance you’ve got a spare hyperflux capacitor?”

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J4R-9 chirped, then a compartment in its side opened, revealing a jumble of ancient parts. “Hmm, hyperflux capacitor, hyperflux capacitor... Ah, here we go!” It triumphantly pulled out a component.

Thea’s eyes widened. “No way. That’s it!”

As they installed the part, Harper kept an eye on J4R-9.

“So, J4R-9,” Harper said, tightening the last bolt. “Why are you out here, really?”

The robot paused. “I was once the guardian of a great city. When the wars came, I was left behind, my purpose forgotten. Now, I wait for travelers like you to remind me of the old days.”

Thea looked up from the engine. “That’s... kind of sad.”

“Sad?” J4R-9 repeated. “Oh no, I’ve had plenty of time to adapt. And meeting new people is always an adventure!”

Harper nodded, his eyes softening as he regarded the ancient machine. “We appreciate your help. What’s left of the city you guarded?”

“Ruins mostly,” J4R-9 said. “But there are treasures buried beneath the sands, secrets long forgotten.”

Harper exchanged a glance with Thea. “Think it’s worth a look?”

“Why not,” she said, shrugging. “We’re here, aren’t we?”

Led by J4R-9, they ventured deeper into the wastelands. The robot entertained them with animated tales of the old world. They laughed at its absurd anecdotes and shivered at its darker stories.

Hours later, they reached the remnants of a grand city, half-buried in the dunes. The sight was breathtaking and eerie. J4R-9’s head swiveled, its voice soft. “Welcome to Arcanis, once a beacon of civilization.”

Harper and Thea moved cautiously through the ruins. Harper stumbled over something and brushed away the sand to reveal a shimmering artifact marked with cryptic symbols. He turned to J4R-9, holding up the find. “What’s this?”

The robot focused its attention. “Ah, a relic of our time. It’s a map, of sorts. To what, even I don’t know.”

Thea smiled. “Guess we have our next adventure lined up.”

J4R-9’s voice echoed softly. “Thank you, travelers. For a moment, you’ve brought life back to this forgotten land.”

Harper patted the robot’s side. “Anytime, J4R-9. Anytime.”

As they set up camp, stars appeared one by one. In the vast, silent desert, amidst ancient ruins, they listened to the robot's tales, feeling an unexpected kinship. Afterward, Harper lay awake, gazing at the night sky until he finally drifted off to sleep.