The machine, now known as "600" stood tall, before grabbing the wall. He looked concerned as he gazed at the old machine. The unfamiliar machine walked in, showing the rest of its body. It was made of cloth and wood, with bearings and ball joints coating it. Loose wires as well seemed to persist across its body, and its chest held a delicate motor. It seemed to be a large core motor, but it wasn't clear if it was poled or not. A wrapped plug that seemed to fit into an American styled outlet was on the back of the machine, seeming to be the manner to charge this weak piece of kit battery. Compared to 600, this machine was old fashioned, if not out of date when it was originally made.
"It is fine... Do not be afraid." Said the old machine, but 600 didn't know what being afraid was. He just stood, and stared. "I am Station Class Mark I, a A.S.R.S.P.G unit. For short, anyway."
Usually called a gliding unit, the acronym stood for Avian Surveillance and Reconnaissance Semi Propelled Glider. 600 looked confused at the glider, before the glider shook its head. "Just, call me 100. As like I just named you, 600. You are the sixth edition of me!" He said in an ecstatic manner.
However 600 didn't find this as amusing. 100 groaned, and put out his arm. It seemed to resemble the appearance of old windmills with large wooden braces with cloth in between them. His small "hand" ,which was more like a three fingered mitten type of shape, opened up and shot a coil out of it. It was clear that something was moving between the large wooden braces of his arm. A type of wire coil was in his shoulder, it was small and didn't have much distance. It snagged 600's wrist, and 100 tried to pull 600 away with him. The motor groaned and screamed, it was clearly upset that 100 was trying to overwork it.
"Could you... give me a little help?" 100 asked in curiosity. 600 somewhat understood what 100 meant and let go of the wall. The cable helped them both as it assisted 600 in being able to stand up properly. "On we go then. This is going to be important. It has been so long since your code was originally typed up, honestly I don't think anyone remembers whats in it!"
600 began to walk with 100 through the old warehouse. Passing the tools and such, the fragile elder stepped carefully over old tools and between crates. 600, with his powerful engine and extreme weight, plowed straight through these crates, pushing them out of the way as he walked, and crushing small or older tools. 100 would look back every now and again, his now emotionless face hidden behind the eternal smile of the theatrical mask held an eerie appearance for 600. Before they reached the double door to leave, he stopped moving, and tugged on 100.
"Why did you stop?" asked 100. It took a few minutes, before 600's code registered how he would be potentially able to talk. With a weak voice box installed, damaged by the years of dust he has inhaled through the radiator and air intake, it sounded absolutely horrid. "Where... are we going?" he asked in a gritty mechanical voice. A far cry from 100's almost human-like voice. "To see our brothers and sisters. Where else, 600?" 100 said this as if this was something that was normal, and that 600 should have understood. However with how new 600 was here, he had no idea what was going on.
He stood there and looked at the door, before beginning to back up. His body made clicks as he shifted himself to reverse. The prototype body he had did not like trying to change directions on the spot. Even though he had a human like body, this was something even his siblings struggled with. They all had to turn around, they couldn't even fathom the ability to walk backwards. 100 tried to pull back, but it was damaging his arm, so he had to go with 600. He thought, "Patience... Hes new. Of course, that is part of our journey after all." He watched as 600 stopped, now about 50 ft from the doorway.
"Why do you not want to leave?" asked 100. 600 looked past 100, then to him. 100 had an idea, and unattached from 600. 600 surprisingly stayed stable, and calibrated accordingly and situated his weight. Since his legs connected to his hips through two rotating discs connected by a single rod, at least for movement, it was a lot of weight on two points. The ball joint that lets his leg flex wasn't supporting much weight, since it would break if it had to. An experimental design made out of scraps and rudimentary python. Of course it would be difficult for him to be efficient.
100 walked out of the doors and into the sunlight, before turning back and raising his arms. Showing that it wasn't anything to be concerned about. He turned around, formed with the same issue of the inability to walk backwards due to their code and bodies. He walked away, leaving 600 behind. "If you don't want to come with me, I guess I will just leave you in that old shed."
600 hated this, and began to walk out. He pushed one of the doors open by walking into it. Unlike 100, he had the engine power to just open them, and not have to squeeze through. The old iron doors groaned as he opened them and walked into the sunlight. His engine idled as he looked around in awe of the outside. The wind hitting him, and showed his silver, primer painted body. Scuffed and dusty, he felt he was finally here. 100 walked over and flapped his arms at 600, creating a small gust of wind that fluffed up all of the dust. It didn't get all of it off of him, but it got a sizable chunk off of him and made him look less dirty.
"Come on now. They are waiting ever since our creator actually got the ping that you were finally awake." He continued to walk onward. 600 close behind. They continued to walk on a shabby old stone path, the rising sun beating down on them. By now it rose enough that the soft amber became a warm glow with blue skies. 600 couldn't resist but to look around and examine his surroundings. Small birds sat among the overgrown, shabby runway eating the seeds and small insects that roamed across it. They fluttered about, hopping and flying around with loud chattering and cheeps. He felt at peace, then he looked back to 100. They were nearing a gate beside an older building. As they went through it they walked through the dense forests of Samoa, the glorious sunlight peeking through the canopy at them.
600 soon spoke once more. "Who is... our creator?" He had a loose understanding of rather simple vocabulary, but as his code was working inside of him it was drawing conclusions for stuff quite fast. As if the brain of a child was put into this mechanical hull. 100 turned his head back as they walked, "We only call him our creator, we don't know his name. That or he dislikes us calling him his name. I honestly cannot remember." 600 felt worried about this so-called creator. But he tried to stay optimistic.
They soon reached what looked like a much more refurbished and generally more well kept hangar and setup. Likely something that was moved up here after the original runway and hangar became too old to use. As 100 slowly opened the large door of the hangar, 600 followed suit by opening it completely. 100 waited patiently, all be it slightly annoyed by 600's persistent time wasting. As 600 walked in though he gasped at the sight of what it was holding. A ruby red B-17, with the words "Elm" scraped into the side of the cabin. It looked brand new for how old of a craft it was. He didn't know how old the plane was, but he was curious of it regardless.
"Is this our creator?" 100 laughed and shook his head. "This is 500's body. He is asleep right now, he hasn't woken up in years. Quite like you, I may add." He walked further back into the hangar and through a door which led to another path. Following the path they ended up in a warehouse, and so they went in. Inside they where greeted by a much newer and not so dusty environment. 600 wasn't used to this, but to be fair by now he is only a mere few hours old. Suddenly, they were jumped by a rather peculiar looking machine. It had a beige coat, as well as a generally bulky body compared to 100. The machine looked more human like, and didn't have any qualities that made it look even capable for utility like 100 did.
"You brought him back! And he isn't broken." she seemed to tease with a motherly, elderly tone. 100 groaned and shrugged. "Of course, I am the fragile one, I know how to handle other machines." He turned back to 600. "This is 200, my younger sister, and your eldest sister." 600 waved with caution. 200 nodded, but didn't move much. She seemed to be far more out of date than 100 part wise, with rust and older parts being visible. Why were they made if they where so old and useless, thought 600. He continued to walk around before 100 grabbed his shoulder gently. "300 and 400 are on an expedition. Scouting the coast, you know."
600 couldn't help but ask. "Why are there so many of you... when you could upgrade, or update yourselves?" 100 looked back at 200 then looked to 600. The blank stare of that smiling plastic sheen was too noticeable to have a horrifying expression behind it. Nothing but wood and wire, but 600 felt threatened none the less. "You can ask the creator that!" said 100 cheerfully. But 600 wasn't so sure that this was a true cheerful mood, he was concerned. He roamed around a bit, before sitting. He learnt this from seeing 200, who would have to sit down frequently to cool down, since her motor would overheat if she stood up for too long. He looked around the workshop, feeling concerned yet excited for what he was going to find.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
It wasn't long before he was startled by a loud bang, he was so confused. What made that noise and, how had he not noticed what happened? Little did he know he entered a charging state, and turned off to preserve the battery. He stood up and looked for his siblings but neither were there. The clattering continued, all be it quieter this time. His heavy feet pushed against the ground as he slowly walked forwards. The clatter of the rod and wheel setup that moved his legs was so noticeable and loud that he was surprised no one had noticed him walking through the environment. His engine rumbled as he got prepared for a fight, it was a weird feeling, but his fists clenched as he slowly grabbed the door knob to the room that the clattering was being made in. He didn't know what to do, he wasn't sure what that sound was, but he had to investigate. He had to make sure it was safe, for him and his siblings.
He turned the knob gently and swung the door open. It nearly hit the wall, but he only opened it enough for him to come in. The power and quick movement needed a lot of energy, making his engine roar and rumble. His body shook ferociously as he stared into the room, his joints quivering as he slowly examined the environment. Another machine sat on a table, broken and shut down, with a man welding pieces onto it, the man flicked up his shield and turned to look at 600. 600 felt threatened, and became defensive. "Who are you?!" he asked in his own broken tone. The man slowly standing up, understanding what 600 is, and knowing that moving too slowly would be a bad idea. "I am your creator." he stated as he took his gloves off and put the equipment on the desk. "Well that's what 100 calls me."
600 stood and stared, still cautious with the new arrival. His engine idled with a low rumble, the heat from the exhaust coming from his back made the air shake and warp. "What are you doing to... them?" He addressed his views towards the decommissioned machine. The man looked to the old yellow craft on the table and face palmed gently. He rubbed his eyes and brought his fingers down to his nose, holding onto the bridge. He seemed concerned himself, upset or worried. The creator turned to 600 and shook his head. "Routine maintenance..." he stated with an upset manner. He began to walk towards 600 and looked over him. "Can you, sit down?" 600 took a minute to know the command. He tried to, but fell backwards. He sat on the ground, causing sparks and his primer to scrape off a little.
The man leaned down and began to examine 600's arms, and his general neck and head area. He swiped away some of the dust before seeing the "Elm" logo welded to him. He leaned back and scratched his head. "Come here and help me, boy. Then we can test your potential." As he walked away 600 stood up. "Potential...?" he asked with confusion. He had no idea what the man wanted from him. "Yes of course, your potential." he stated as he began to take the machine on the desks head off gently. "You were made for a reason, we will figure out if you can handle that reason. Of course, you need to be fixed." He grabbed a wrench and slammed it against the palm of his other hand.
Days began to pass by, with maintenance on both 600 and the yellow machine going on and off. 600 felt like he was forever asleep, just waiting for something to happen. Soon, he was rebooted, the man stepped away from him and the yellow machine was glaring at him. Its yellow L.E.D eyes blinked as it crouched. 600 sat up in a startled manner, his engine hit a high throttle to threaten the other machine, which did not do much more than just back up. "Come on now. Its time to test that gift of yours." 600 didn't know what that meant. But he went with him.
As they went outside, the yellow machine, which mentioned her name to be 400, was bouncing up and down. She kicked the ground in a standing jog, while 600 stood next to her. He was scratching at his neck, the new voice box was big, and had a rather deep and rumbling tone to it. He didn't really appreciate the size of it at all, but he had to tolerate it. The man stood beside two pylons, and looked to the two. 100 and 200 were nearby as well, also watching the tests. "So, you two are the most updated, upgraded versions of your classes. I want you two to compete with each other in a few tests. This first one is going to be a simple agility test. Please walk as casually as you can towards the pylon."
600 nodded, and as the man blew a whistle. He began to walk forwards, but 400 was much faster in her walking. She looked back at 600 with a confused expression, wondering why he was so slow. Each step she took made small clicks and prompted the next step in a bubbly bouncy manner. 600 on the other hand, had huge, titan like steps. Each step he took his foot sunk into the soil, and whenever his foot was lifted dust and soil fell in small clouds under him. The man was surprised, but not impressed. Whenever 400 got to the pylon she swept it up and spun, holding it like a young girl with her plushie. "Winning!" she said in a charmingly high pitched yet smooth voice. 600 groaned as he continued to walk, he tapped the Pylon as he looked at the man. While 600 seemed slow compared to 400, he only walked as fast as the average male. The man wrote stuff on a paper, and nodded to them.
More tests were held. Some 400 won, some 600 won. The creator was indecisive on which was better. He had a conclusion on his paper, 400 was better with support. But 600 was just as he hoped, a powerful super human type of creation that could handle just about anything. Through the tests, 600 and 400 had to refuel. As they did, 400 easily was full before 600 due to the smaller fuel capacity. She took the tube out of her neck then walked off the small platform she was standing on. She looked to 600. "Hey, so you are the new guy around here?" 600 seemed confused, but reluctantly spoke back to her. "Yes... why?" Her eyes lit up and became star shaped in her monitor like eyes.
She stepped closer to 600 then began to whisper, "Listen bro, when 300 comes back I need to show you something." When she let go of 600 and stepped back a bit, spinning on her foot occasionally. She seemed to have a hyper personality, why, 600 couldn't understand. "You are just like me and him. You aren't like the... others." said 400. 600 couldn't understand, and he tilted his head at this prospect. "What do you mean by the others? 100, 200, and 500? I haven't talked to them much, so I don't know how different we truly are." 400 shook her head no. "Yes them, but unlike us they haven't been upgraded in years. Our creator is running low on money..."
600 wasn't familiar with what money was, but running low of any resource is horrible. He seemed concerned, even though he had no ability to create any facial expressions to show it. "So why did he make me?" 400 only shrugged. "Perhaps you are his 'Magnum Opus.' which is like, the final and best project." 600 felt bad that his siblings were not considered the best. But he felt that he had a job to do. He took the pipe out of his neck after he was topped off and began to follow her to the test site where their creator waited.
Soon, the next test was being set up. "Torque." he said, neither of the siblings knew what that meant, but they soon understood once they were led outside to two big trucks hitched to two trailers each. "You two have to pull these, to inside those." He pointed to two large open walled sheds. The roofs were made out of sheet metal, and seemed a little rusted. They had many strong metal poles holding them up. 600 looked to 400 with concern, and he was met back with that same feeling.
600 backed up to the truck, while 400 had to continuously walk forwards then rotate to be able to connect. "Connect however you please." 600 watched as 400 looked confused. She grabbed the winch on the front of the truck, and held it around her waste. 600 would have rolled his eyes if he had any to roll, as he grabbed the winch of the truck and hooked it onto a small handrail on the back of his torso. The man whistled, and the two began to move. 400 had a small gasoline engine compared to the heavy diesel inside of 600. She shook violently as she slowly started to move. The wheels of the truck and its trailers inching forwards. She snickered before looking to 600, her jaw dropped as she saw how powerful he was.
600's engine roared like the fury of a thousand suns. It sounded like a dozen lions working together as one unit, and the strength of a hundred oxen. His body shook, but not nearly as bad as 400. A clank was heard as he shifted down, his slow walk was soon hit, walking casually as he pulled the massive load. The amount of weight behind him didn't slow him down at all, the heavy steps didn't seem to hinder him anymore. He won, and looked back to an overheated and overworked 400.