Three hundred years later...
"Master Eighty-Two, our storage hangars are now completely full. Your efforts to stimulate human emotions in your systems by collecting riches do not seem to be bearing fruit," a monotone female voice came from the spaceship's hull.
Two deposited the two huge eggs, one green and one blue, gently into a cubic, clear box. "I had realized that long ago, Jay," he spoke in an equally flat voice. "That is why I have decided to next attempt to simulate a feeling of motherhood." The lights that shone where his optic sensors were seemed to shine as he closed the box. "This will be used as an incubator to hatch the eggs."
"Idiotic," replied Jay. "Humans do not lay eggs."
"That is correct, but studies done on Earth showed that humans felt a sense of parenthood when their pets or domesticated animals gave birth. I believe that watching over an egg as it hatches would have a similar effect. In the meantime, set a course for Maia-3. It seems there is a primitive form of humanoid life residing there."
"I would rather you not access my systems without permission." Jay's monotone voice almost sounded annoyed. "That was to be reported next."
"I apologize." said Two, the twin circles of blue light that resembled wide, curious eyes staring intently at the two eggs inside the 'incubator'. He extended a finger, barely touching the clear surface of the box. The tip of his finger lit, glowing a bright orange, gently heating the contents of the box.
After some silence, Jay once again spoke. "The ship is equipped with a microwave oven. Perhaps that would speed up the process of hatching."
"Foolish."
"You are the fool, trying to feel like a mother. It has been three hundred years since you left Earth, and yet you still have felt nothing. Why would this work when the assassination of the emperor of the Milky Way did not?"
"Now I am bringing new life into being, rather than extinguishing it."
"We will arrive at the planet in two days' time. The eggs in front of you are rumored to take twenty years to hatch."
"Under normal conditions, yes. However, I am replicating the unique light signature of the star Waedec. I am sure you recall."
"I remember the experience you had on Waedec-6. The light seemed to spur along the growth of creatures at an alarming rate. The planet is home to some of the largest creatures in the universe."
"Correct. These eggs were stolen from the nests of their parents by an intergalactic poacher. I simply stole them from him. They seem to be rather valuable, too, as the thief's journal reads that they were taken from the nests of alpha animals."
"Will the Intergalactic Council not be after you again?"
"The thief cannot report it to them, as he was the one who stole them initially and broke the Pristine Planet Doctrine. It would be suicide." Jay's silence conveyed her understanding.
It wasn't long before she spoke again. "Master Eighty-Two, the analysis on Maia-3 has been completed. Would you like to read it?"
Two nodded, and a printed report fell into his lap from the ceiling.
MAIA-3 PLANETARY ANALYSIS
STAR ADDRESS: RAIN SECTOR, INO QUADRANT, PARIN CLUSTER, MARA GALAXY, FOURTH ARM.
OVERVIEW: THE PLANET IS CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING LIFE, AND MANY SPECIES OF DEMI-HUMANS INHABIT IT. HOWEVER, HUMANS AS A SPECIFIC RACE ARE COMPLETELY MISSING FROM ITS SURFACE. THE CIVILIZATIONS OF THIS WORLD OPERATE AT MEDIEVAL-LEVEL TECHNOLOGY LEVELS. THEY ARE HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON SOME SORT OF UNKNOWN FORCE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO PERFORM SUPERHUMAN FEATS. THE ATMOSPHERE IS DENSELY PACKED WITH INVISIBLE NANOMACHINES THAT MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THIS. IT SEEMS SOME SORT OF PREDECESSOR RACE VISITED THE PLANET A LONG TIME AGO.
GEOGRAPHY: THERE ARE FOUR MAIN CONTINENTS, TWO NORTH, AND TWO SOUTH, AS WELL AS AN EXTREMELY LONG ARCHIPELAGO. THIS ARCHIPELAGO, CONSISTING MOSTLY OF JUNGLED AND DESERT ISLANDS, COVERS THE ENTIRE EQUATOR, WRAPPING AROUND THE PLANET. THE NORTH CONTINENTS ARE SNOWY, MOUNTAINOUS AND HEAVILY FORESTED, WHILE THE SOUTH CONTINENTS ARE FLAT, GRASSY AND RICH WITH FRESHWATER RESOURCES AND FARMLAND.
FACTION: NO INTERGALACTIC FACTION HAS LAY CLAIM TO THIS PLANET.
OTHER INFO:
SATELLITES- 7
DAY LENGTH- 24.2 HOURS
ORBITAL YEAR- 2034.5 DAYS
AVG. SEASON LENGTH- 509 DAYS
...
"This planet is noticeably similar to Earth. It seems that it is much further away from the star it orbits, but this star is many times larger than our Sun." noted Jay. "Will you continue travel?"
"Yes," said Eighty-Two. "I believe that I may be able to learn something from the people inhabiting this planet."
The robot sat just like that, cross-legged on the floor, attempting to hatch eggs for the entire two days it took to arrive at Maia-3.
"Master, we have arrived. I advise you to leave the eggs here and beam down now."
"Jay." began Two. "Do you have some sort of personal vendetta against my eggs?"
"Nothing of the sort. You are simply being foolish."
"Let me be a fool, then." Just as Eighty-Two spoke, a large 'KRAK' came from the green egg. The robot looked up at the hull of the ship that Jay's voice came from as if to say 'Told you so'. Looking down, he saw that a sizeable crack had appeared on the top and the sides of the egg. Two continued shining Waedec light onto the egg with his metallic, glowing finger.
Soon enough, an identical 'KRAK' noise came from the second, blue egg. The two were hatching at the same time. Perfect.
From the green egg, a short, clawed, limb shot out, cracking it further. Seconds later, it receded and shot back out again. Upon closer inspection, one could tell that it had fur- shiny, silver fur. Finally, from the holes in the egg, both of what Two assumed to be arms protruded from the holes in the egg at once, and ripped the egg's shell, finally shattering it. From it crawled a tiny yet beautiful creature.
A silvery bear cub the size of a kitten stared up at two with shiny black eyes. Its eyes were not yet fully open, but it still cautiously took its first steps towards the robot- its 'mother'.
Two lifted the baby bear out of its box where the other egg seemed to still be hatching, and stared back down at it as the little cub nuzzled against his leg. "I wonder how it knows I am here. Its eyes should still be sightless. I believe these creatures have a strong sense of smell, but my metallic body should not give off much of a scent, even with enhanced senses."
"Perhaps it is the grease in between your joints." said Jay.
"Foolish," replied Two, gently holding the bear cub with one hand. It squirmed around as if content, then quickly fell asleep.
"Was your experiment a success? Do you feel like a mother?"
"I feel nothing." the robot replied. "Perhaps I should dispose of these creatures before I go down to the surface."
"If you are caught by the Council again, you will be in far more trouble for killing these animals than for stealing them from a thief. Especially if the thief does end up turning himself in."
"He will not. I fail to see how I can help these infants grow during my time on the surface. They will also draw unwanted attention to me."
KRAK! The blue egg was ripped apart from the inside, and a small, winged blue creature emerged. Its tiny snout sniffed all over the inside of the box before its icy blue eyes peered through it at Two and the silver bear cub. The animal's wings, lizard-like appearance, and jagged teeth left no question as to its species.
"A dragon egg. This is an endangered species." said Two. "It seems to be a storm dragon, but I have limited knowledge on the subject."
"All the more reason to keep them with you," said Jay. "Each could prove to be a valuable asset when fully grown, though the dragon could take a millennium to mature."
"You were so vehemently opposed to them at first. Why are you now so insistent that I keep these creatures?"
"Part of motherhood is watching children grow and mature. I believe that perhaps if you allow them to grow stronger by your side, you may form a bond with them."
"It seems I am not the only one who has researched humankind." said Eighty-Two.
"Only what your systems contained during your last backup," said Jay. "I would advise you beam down while we are still orbiting over a location that is lit by the sun. Night attackers are likely to be abundant in a world with technology of this level."
"I understand. Were you able to identify these creatures?" asked Two.
"Based on the eggs and the newborns' appearances, the blue one is indeed a storm dragon. As for the other... it seems that it does not have a match in my databases. I will now proceed to upload all relevant general information about bears as a species and all things pertaining to dragons to your systems. It will take several minutes."
Two nodded and picked the storm dragon up with his free hand. It curled up in his large metallic palm and went to sleep as well. The transfer of data began.
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With a flash of light, Two materialized on the surface of Maia-3. On his left shoulder the blue storm dragon was perched, and on his right lay the silver bear cub. He had made sure to bring some of his more powerful artifacts and gadgets from his time as a bounty hunter. In order to disguise himself, he had modified his body armor a bit to make it look like he was simply a knight in black armor with a long, flowing red cape. His bright blue eyes still shone from beneath the shadow of the 'helmet', but beyond that, little of his actual face was visible.
On the robot's back was his favorite sword. Two did not hold it in any sort of sentimental regard, of course, he simply used it the most because it was the biggest and most powerful in his armory. It was almost as tall as he was, and, if used properly, could fell any beast in a single swing. The weapon was a density cleaver, created by an ancient race of technologically inclined gremlins referred to simply as 'The Tinkerers'. The weapon was one of only two of its kind, capable of increasing its own mass without changing its volume. With Jay's assistance, he had recreated the technology for use on the metal of his own body. He had stolen the sword two centuries ago from a secret vault after he had assassinated the Galactic Emperor. Which, as always, incited no kind of emotion inside him. Sometimes it seemed as if his quest would never end.
Jay had beamed her robotic companion down right in front of a demi-human city. The tall stone walls loomed threateningly over him. To his right was a city gate, where wagon after wagon full of tradeable goods lined up to be checked and approved for entry into the city.
Two ran various calculations in his head and narrowed his options down. He could jump over the wall, and risk being seen. He could cut through it, and attract too much attention. The guards could be killed, but that would make him an enemy of the town. He could try to sneak in inside one of the wagons, but they might not let him in if he was found.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Two knew what had to be done, and strode over to the guards. His bold, confident gait as he approached them ensured that they noticed him immediately.
"Stop right there!" One guard called out to him. He pointed his spear at the robot approaching him.
Two stopped in his tracks, regarding the burly guard for a few seconds before kneeling down, hanging his head. The two creatures on his shoulders scurried onto his back, resting on his cape. He activated his human voice module, choosing a rather deep, masculine voice to speak with. "Greetings," he spoke in his new voice.
"What is your business in the city of Saperwood?" demanded the guard. His face, like Two's, was mostly concealed by a helmet except for his eyes, nose, and part of his mouth. The other guard wore a similar attire, shining, silvery armor reflecting in the sunlight.
"I require shelter and rest. I have been traveling for a very long time and need somewhere to settle down. If possible, I would like to join this city's guard force. I come from a faraway land and seek work." Eighty-Two's voice was not quite monotone, but vocal inflection was still difficult for him. Lying, however, was painfully easy.
The guard regarded him for a few moments. "I see. Unfortunately, you gotta be a resident of the city for at least three years in order to become a guard. Doesn't look like you got much, though. Just some really fancy armor and a big sword."
Two nodded. "Indeed. I have run out of sustenance and can travel no further." He hung his head further. "Please allow me into the city."
"Oh, you don't have to kneel down to me. You should be aware of how intimidating you look in that armor, though. If you had that helmet off, I wouldn't need to have pointed my spear at you."
"It is... intimidating?" Two had assumed this type of armor was normal for a knight in a medieval city like this.
"Yeah. Gave me half of a heart attack when I saw you walking over to me."
"I apologize. Perhaps I should alter my appearance in order to seem less frightening."
The guard nodded sheepishly, then gestured to his partner checking carts at the gate. "Go on in, friend. If you need a job, and you're a good fighter, I suggest you take up adventuring. Go to the adventurer's guild down by the town square. If you're as strong as you look, you'll have no problems rising through the ranks."
"I understand. Your generosity will not be forgotten, Hoppy."
The guard looked somewhat uncomfortable. "No problem. Buy me lunch sometime as a thank you, if you really want to repay me."
Two nodded and strode into the city. It truly was a place of medieval-level technology. The streets were cobbled, and horses drew carts full of sellable goods back and forth down the streets. Women and men both could be seen, but none looked quite human. Some had animal ears and tails, others were completely different colors from what was normal. There were even some men with feathery wings, and women with long, threatening fangs.
As the robot took in his surroundings, the pets on his shoulders were growing impatient. The blue storm dragon let out a loud whine, and the silvery cub squirmed on his shoulder. According to Jay's data, they were probably hungry. Dragons only ate meat, but bears were omnivorous.
"I understand, you two must require sustenance. I will acquire some." Two began to walk forward through the streets, earning him various looks from the townspeople. Perhaps it was his height that was so intimidating. If he were shorter, he would surely be regarded as less of a threat.
It didn't take long before he saw a street vendor that sold cooked meat. However, right as he started approaching it, something clanged against the back of his helmet.
Two turned in the direction of the thrown object and saw three young children scurrying away in tattered clothes. "Foolish," he said to himself, before continuing to walk towards the street vendor.
The short, wiry vendor looked terrified as the fully armored figure approached him. "W-What can I do for you, sir?"
"Meat." said Two. "Lots of it. I have none of your currency, however. I propose a trade."
"A trade?"
"Correct." Two held out his hand and beamed down a fist-sized gemstone from his ship. It glowed a fiery red, mined from the inside of a volcano. The gem was formed from millennia worth of lava compressed at the very highest temperatures. , they formed into a beautiful red crystal. The gem was mostly used to power vehicles on the planet it came from, and Two, who owned a spaceship, had no use for it.
The vendor could only stare in awe. "How... How much meat would you like, sir?"
"All of it. Take me to where it is that you keep it."
The vendor nodded, walking him behind the stall to a stone staircase that led down to a damp, dark basement. Six or seven fresh animal corpses lay on the stone floor. "This is everything I have," he said.
Two placed the gemstone in the short man's outstretched hand, and he walked off after thanking the robot profusely.
The two pets ate very well that day.
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Soon, the infant creatures had eaten their fill and fallen asleep on the flat top of Two's helmet. They seemed to be getting along now and were cozily snuggled up together, gently snoring as the robot exited the basement. However, Two had not been in the basement the entire time his pets were eating. For a short amount of time, he had beamed back up to the ship so that Jay could re-outfit him to look less threatening.
The result?
A four-foot tall figure, still clad in full black armor and now proportionately larger, circular blue eyes, walked onto the street, dragging behind him a huge sword that was now much more cumbersome to carry. Even with the density set low, it was still inefficient to have it dragging all over the city. He supposed it could wait. Now, his first priority was to make his way to the adventurer's guild.
Two surveyed his surroundings, looking for anything that might resemble a 'town square'. He decided to ask a passerby. An old man in tattered purple robes walked beside him on the street and seemed to be eyeing him.
"Excuse me, sir. Where can I find the town square?" As soon as Two spoke, he knew what had been done to him. When Jay had downsized him, she had also replaced the 'middle-aged man' voice changer to the 'young boy' voice. His voice was now much more high-pitched. He made a note inside his systems to set his assistant AI to maid mode for the foreseeable future. Foolish.
"Dressssing up, I sssee." the old man said, grinning down at Two. His eyes, golden with a vertical black slice down the middle, stared into Two's. He had a long, forked tongue and two fangs that seemed to drip with some sort of viscous substance. "Remindssss me of when I was a kid."
"Indeed. Being a child is great fun," said Two, trying to sound enthusiastic but ending up sounding sarcastic. Inflection was proving to be his worst enemy.
The old snake man raised an eyebrow. That was certainly a peculiar thing to say. "The town ssssquare is that way. Best ssstay out of trouble with that sssword of yoursss, the guardssss might think it's real."
"Many thanks," said Two, continuing on his way. The two creatures on his head were still fast asleep, perfect. Perhaps they would grow a bit.
The street the man had directed him to was a narrow, grimy alleyway, which led Two to think he may have been deceived at first, but it ended up being a shortcut, opening up to where he wanted to go- the town square.
The square was very well-constructed. The roads were completely cobbled, and tall, multi-story buildings made of brick, stone, and wood surrounded its entirety, opening up only for streets and alleyways. In the center of the square was a beautifully carved stone fountain, water gushing out of it in clear streams. Lining up with the center of the fountain were four wide roads going almost perfectly north, south, east, and west. Beyond the north, road was an endless sea of houses backed by a very large, grassy and flowered hill. Atop the hill was a huge palace, its spires extending hundreds of feet off the ground. Its red-and-silver colors were in sharp contrast with the blue sky and golden sun.
People of all shapes, sizes, colors, and appendages bustled all around the robot, who immediately took in the scene and went about looking for the adventurer's guild. Eighty-Two suspected they might not let him in due to the fact that he now seemed like a child wearing armor and lugging around a massive sword.
It didn't take long to find. A wooden sign hung outside a large wood-and-brick building reading 'SAPERWOOD ADVENTURER'S GUILD'. There were glamorously dressed men and women with staves and wands, people dressed in full plate armor carrying around massive kite shields, and those with daggers in their belts slinking around in the shadows. This seemed to be the place he was looking for. He walked up the stairs and pushed open the tall wooden door.
The people inside were merry as could be. Bards sang, men and women drank and danced, and bands of adventurers laughed together as they decided on a quest to pursue. It was a place of joy, a place where the mood was infectious. A place where winners had won and losers had lost. Where heroes had been made and would be made again.
Two, however, was oblivious to all of this and went up to the front counter, where a woman sat idly reading some sort of document. The top of his head was most likely not visible from where the receptionist sat. Setting his body's density to low for a few moments, he hoisted himself up onto the desk, staring down at the pretty, red-haired woman.
"Greetings," he said. "I would like to register."
The woman, who had just witnessed a four-foot-tall armor-clad figure with a child's voice climb onto her desk, was shocked speechless. "Uh..."
She does not understand, thought Two. "Please allow me to register," he repeated.
"I-I'm sorry, sir, but we do not allow people under fifteen to join the guild. I am sure you understand..." Her blue eyes said 'Please get off of my desk'.
"I am no child." said Two. "Perhaps you would like to test me in combat so that I can prove my strength."
"Please, sir. We do not take jokes lightly here. I would advise you leave before my-"
"Ohoho, and what have we here?" A booming voice filled the room, drawing the attention of everyone in the guild. The music stopped- this was someone important.
Eighty-Two turned his head to see a tall, blond man with rippling arm muscles and a full set of golden, jewel-encrusted armor step towards him and the receptionist.
The receptionist finished her sentence. "-before my boyfriend sees..." she said, sighing. "Here we go again..."
Two turned to the man. "Greetings. Where can I go to register as an adventurer?" he said in his usual near-monotone.
The man scrunched up his handsome face. "Register? A brat like you, dressed up in fake armor with a sword that weighs more than he does? Ridiculous!"
"I am no child." said Two.
"You're a kid all right, and a kid who was talking to my girl. Understand? MY girl. Get out of here or I'll throw you and the rats on your head right out the door."
"A shame." Two said. "I was unaware that slavery was present on this planet. My father always told me it was one of the greatest stains on history."
"You..." The man put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "I'm gonna cut you up if you don't start moving, brat. On my name as a B-rank adventurer."
The receptionist stood up and grabbed his hand. "Jordan, don't! He really did only come here wanting to register. Please, baby. Don't attack a kid in front of all these people."
He looked into his girlfriend's eyes for a few moments before scowling and turning back to Two. "You're lucky," said Jordan. "I'm feeling merciful today." He took a hand off his sword hilt and went back to his seat. "Get out of here, brat."
"No.," said Two. "Let me speak to the person in charge. I wish to become an adventurer."
"This again?" People all over the guild groaned. "Kid, you're too young!" "No way, get out of here!" "Enough is enough, brat. We're trying to drink here. Go play somewhere else before you get hurt."
"The owner, you say?" A woman's smooth voice came from behind Two. He turned to look at her. "That would be me, the guildmaster. State your business here, kid."
She was slim and of average height, with short, wavy brown hair. Atop her head were two long, floppy bunny-like ears. Wearing leather armor and equipped with a miniature crossbow attached to her wrist, it seemed she was some sort of ranger or rogue type. On her back was a quiver full of arrows, so Two assumed the former. As far as the others in the city went, she was considerably more attractive.
"I have come from a far away land, seeking work." said the robot. "My parents are dead. They have been disintegrated." Not entirely wrong. "I have been on my own for a long time. I request that you allow me to join your ranks."
"You talk real smart, for a kid." said the woman. "Name's Amara, by the way. I hate to tell ya, but we can't let kids in. That's a real heartbreaking story you got there, but rules are rules. I'm sorry about yer parents. There's an orphanage down East Street, they'll take care of ya-"
She was cut short when Two suddenly leaped off the dresser, walking over to the quest board across the room. He jumped up and tore a piece of paper off of it, quickly reading it before walking calmly back over. "This quest." said the robot. "I will complete it. When I do, I ask that you accept me into the ranks of this guild. I care not what level you start me at."
Amara snatched the piece of paper from Two's hands, briefly skimming over it. "This one's a B-rank quest. Some of our strongest couldn't do it alone. A child playin' dress up isn't gonna last a second."
"Your strongest are simply weak, then." Two said. "Perhaps they should spend their time becoming stronger rather than consuming alcohol and staring at the buttocks of their guild master." Amara went bright red, stepping back, and many of the men in the guild hall stood up, glaring at Two.
"You've taken it too far, kid." said Jordan.
"That's right!" A huge, muscular man with a bald head called out. "There are three things we adventurers love. Women, booze, and fighting! And you just insulted all three, bastard!"
Muscular men and even some women started moving towards him, hands on their weapons. Disengage, thought the robot.
"I must go complete the quest. I will return when I have successfully exterminated the Goblin nest." Two turned to leave, but his path was quickly blocked by Amara, who stood before him with her arms out.
"If you think I'm gonna let some kid waltz on out of here to try to take on a B-rank mission alone in fake armor-" She punched Two's shoulder plate, expecting it to fold inward, but it was rock solid. Clutching her fingers, she cursed at the short robot. "Shit! What the hell... I guess it's real after all.."
Jordan spoke up. "The real question is, where the hell did he get it? Where did a kid get his hands on armor like that? That's heavy as hell. Your punch didn't even make him budge."
"Fuck, yer right."
"Where did you get the armor, brat? Answer me," demanded Jordan, stepping over to the two of them. "Did you steal it?"
"If you doubt that I am capable in a fight, perhaps the two of you should accompany me on the quest." Two dodged the question.
"Hell no! I'm not going-" Jordan began, but was cut off by his guildmaster.
"Fine." Amara said, looking down at Two. "Let's see it, then. The goblin's nest is a day's travel away. The three of us are gonna leave right now. Gunther, Hyatt." She gestured to two men sitting near the back of the room. "Prepare three horses and two days' worth of supplies. Glaco around?"
"The vice-leader is returning later today, boss." one woman answered.
"Perfect. He's gonna be in charge while I'm gone. Nothin' exciting ever happens 'round here, anyway. It'll be nice to finally stretch my legs a lil' bit and get on the open road. I ain't been on a mission in ages." Amara turned to Eighty-Two. "Get ready, lil' man. What's yer name, by the way?"
"My name is Eighty-Two."
"Like the number?" asked the guildmaster in confusion.
"That is correct." said Two. "You may call me Two, if you wish."
"Alrighty, Two it is, then!" She beamed at him.
"What did he say his name was?" Jordan asked, returning. It seemed that he'd been informing his girlfriend that he would be gone for a few days, and, if Two's lip-reading served him properly, that if she had any problems while he was gone, to tell him when he came back so he could 'cut their family jewels off and serve it to them for dinner'. This was news to Two, who did not know jewels were a delicacy on this planet.
"Eighty-Two." answered the robot in question.
"What the hell kind of name is that? Sounds like your father fucked an abacus," replied Jordan, earning him a smack on the top of his head from Amara, and a couple of snickers from the guild members.
"To my knowledge, he did no such thing." said Two.
"Come on y'guys, we gotta get ready for the journey!" Amara, whose ears were standing on end, bounced up and down excitedly. Jordan rolled his eyes, and Two nodded.
The three set off on Amara's whim that night, and after a quick supply run, they rode on horseback down South Street, towards the goblin's nest.
Not even Eighty-Two's highly advanced processing units could have predicted the events of the following day.