Blue:

Blue was going to open his mouth to wail, when he was distracted by a roaring sound, this time from above. It became louder and he could feel a wind ruffling his hair. The wind became a localised gale, hot and dry, blasting their bodies. The sound became very loud - then it quietened. There was a thump, and something landed on the grass about ten metres in front of Blue. There was a momentarily swirl of air and sand, forcing Blue to close his eyes. When he opened them, the air was still again, and silent, except for the cries of startled birds in the surrounding bushes, and the sound of the tidal surge still pushing sea water upstream.

In front of him was - well, he did not know what it was. A shimmering in the air, like a mirage on a hot day. Only this was vertical, a few metres wide and four or five metres high.

Click, went something. The shimmering disappeared.

Now, Blue was intelligent, unsociable and scientifically minded. Thus, he was almost compelled to live up to the image of a nerd, and read lots of science fiction. Which he had done, with enthusiasm. Thus, he had no trouble recognising what was in front of him. A small rocket, two metres wide and four metres high, sitting on three outstretched legs, each leg ending in a wide pad. And now he had no trouble working out what the shimmering was; some sort of optical stealth technology, capable of making an object invisible. In this case, it obviously only worked at a distance, at close range the effect broke down to some extent, thus the shimmering.

Blue's brain, already overloaded with the events of the day and Pink's collapse, started shutting down parts of his conscious. It left the memory and logical centres up and running, but Blue went into observer mode, recording what was happening but without any effort made to understand it.

Blue held Pink and watched the rocket. His face went blank and his thoughts went dim.

When the sand that had been blown up by the rocket's landing had settled, a hatch at the top of the rocket opened. Out of it appeared three articulated legs. They waved around and then gripped hooks on the side of the rocket. Definitely a genuine robot. It started climbing down, and as it did more of its body appeared. It seemed to be entirely made of articulated segments, big and small, some forming arms and legs and grippers of a range of sizes, some joining up these limbs to make one continuous body. The last of the robot's body appeared out of the hatch - carrying Pink in yet more articulated arms.

Blue's mind closed down a bit more. There was still enough capacity left, however, to allow him to look at the Pink being carried by the robot, and to bend his head down and look at the Pink in his arms. They were both inert and still, but the one in his arms was bent and broken and soaked in - blood? - while the one in the robot's arms was whole. Even her dress, which was exactly the same as the one in his arms, looked freshly laundered and untorn.

Blue's mouth opened and started drooling.

The robot walked up to Blue and stopped.

"Hello, Blue. I realise this must be a considerable shock to you, but Pink really is a robot. A very human like robot, but a robot nonetheless. And this is her replacement body. All I need to do is to take Pink's brain from the original robot and put it into the new body, and she will be back as good as gold."

Blue looked, and listened, and dribbled some more onto his shirtfront. The voice was male, perfectly legible, and also emotionless. Just like Pink's voice often was.

"Her brain is fully enclosed in its own shell, and is also protected by her skull, thus it can survive much tougher abuse than what just occurred. She was never in any danger. And I could have just as easily retrieved her body from the river. But, of course, you weren't to know that. We really appreciate your efforts to save her life, even risking your own. We will talk about thanking you later. But for now, if you can let me take Pink's body from your arms?"

Without waiting for a reply, the robot extended yet more articulated arms - just how many limbs did this thing have anyway? - and gently extricated Pink's body from Blue's arms. It held the two Pinks together and extended even more articulated arms, small ones, over their heads. They moved in a blur, in some complicated pattern, and then they lifted the top off each Pink's head. Fortunately, by now Blue's mind was safely padded in a mental cocoon, all his thoughts packed between layers of cotton wool, tamping down any emotional reactions. He just sat there and watched, as his shirtfront got wet from saliva.

The original Pink's head was filled by something, which the robot carefully lifted out. Pink's brain, encased in a shiny metal covering, roughly the same shape and size as a human's. The robot, with some care, transferred this to the new Pink's head, currently empty. It closed both heads, and handed the new Pink back to Blue. It also removed the backpack from the old Pink, and placed it on the ground.

"Here you are, Blue. If you can hold onto Pink? Oh, and also, you're dribbling, you don't want to ruin Pink's freshly laundered blouse, do you?"

Blue's brain mustered enough resources to shut his mouth, and to hold onto Pink as she was replaced into his arms.

The robot turned and went back to its rocket.

"Pink will be activating in about a minute's time, I shall hang around until I'm sure she's Ok, then I shall make my departure."

The robot stuffed Pink's original body, and itself, into the rocket, there was a click and the shimmering re-appeared.

Blue watched Pink, completely immobile and still in his arms. She gave a small shudder, and her arms and legs and fingers twitched. She started breathing. She opened her eyes and looked blankly ahead. And then she regained full consciousness. Her face became animated for once and she looked up at Blue.

"There you are, I said I would be back, and I am!"

There was a roar, rapidly diminishing, as the rocket took off and climbed into the sky.

Pink sat up, wrapped her arms around Blue and hugged him.

Blue's brain decided it was probably safe to wake up his emotional centre.

Blue, sort of back to normal, remembered what he had been going to do just before the rocket arrived. He opened his mouth and wailed his heart out.

Half an hour later.

It was not just the death and reincarnation of Pink that was on Blue's mind, but also the events of the morning. It all added up to a lot of emotion that needed dealing with. Eventually Blue, having temporarily gotten some of the distress out of his system, managed to get his act together.

"Right, Ok, I'm functioning, kind of, for now."

His nose was almost touching Pink's. He extended his hand and traced out one of the tracks of sympathy tears that ran down Pink's face.

"So, robots can cry also?" he said.

"Of course, especially a robot that is designed to be as human as possible."

But, because she is a robot, does that mean she doesn't have a soul?

But, but, Esmeralda explicitly told him that Pink was worthy of his love. And Esmeralda is an Angel of Death; her job is basically to judge souls. So she should know. If she implies that Pink has a soul, then she has. And what's more, he had already read Pink's soul, way back at lunch time. And had let her read his.

"And robots have souls. Or at least you do." he said.

"Err, I do?" said Pink.

Pink had gone back to her standard blank emotionless face.

So that's why her expressions are often out of whack, they didn't quite get that part of her design correct. But, wait, can't I read her emotions directly?

Blue made an effort of free will. He requested that he be able to read Pink's current emotional state as a continual stream, and allow Pink to read his.

Will Esmeralda allow that?

Apparently, Esmeralda was amenable to such experiments.

Pink saw Blue's eyes steadily and softly glowing.

Blue was left in no doubt as to what Pink was feeling. He blushed red.

Pink: Gets to hug Blue

Pink received full information about Blue's feelings. She spontaneously hugged him, pressing their heads together.

And a voice in Pink's head went

[There it is again! Where is this infomation coming from? I want to know more!]

Picture a ten year old child being let loose in a chocolate shop with a year's worth of pocket money. That might give you an idea of emotional content of that voice. Although the voice itself was that of an adult male.

After a couple minutes, Esmeralda must have decided that enough was enough. The glow in Blue's eyes faded and they were back into their own skulls, separated from each other. If they wanted their hearts and minds to be joined, they had to do it the old-fashioned way, and talk to each other.

"Well..." said Blue, looking at Pink's eyes centimetres from his.

"Ah, yes, ah." said Pink.

They separated.

"Hmm, Earth Watch Prime is getting all excited; he really wants to know what that is all about. And so do I, for that matter." said Pink.

"Earth Watch Prime? Is that the name of that robot that swapped your bodies over?" said Blue.

Giggle. "No, that robot is just a remote controlled extension. Actually, several such extensions, they can join together or part, as need be. Earth Watch Prime is the name of the, ah, being that was controlling it. And also, the one who created me. He's about a hundred kilometres above us, camouflaged so that you humans can't detect him."

"So he sits in his space ship and watches over you?"

"Actually, he is the space ship. Umm, wait, he's working out how to describe himself. Right. In essence, he is a member of what could be called an Alien Data Species. He, and others like him, exist as pure data, running on computers that are considerably more advanced than the puny ones that humanity currently has. He sits above us in a forced low earth orbit, while the others like him are out in the Oort cloud, the circle of trillions of comets and asteroids that circle the sun way out beyond the orbit of Pluto. They have just arrived at this solar system, and are currently building their own civilisation, completely independent of humanity's." said Pink.

"And he can talk directly to your mind?"

"That's right. And right now he is practically hopping up and down in impatience, waiting for a description of what the hell those blue glows from your eyes are."

Blue:

"Fair is fair, my head is practically bursting from your information. Time to return the favour."

Blue spent the next twenty minutes giving them a run down on how he met Esmeralda.

Pink looked at Blue and said "The main reason I am believing this is because I have directly experienced the soul reading part. And also because you survived the fall, which we both thought was remarkable."

"And Earth Watch Prime is agog with excitement. He would like you to know that, since he is basically data, one of the great pleasures of his kind is getting new, interesting data. He gets as excited at the prospect of new and unusual data as your average teenage boy gets at the thought of seeing girls wearing bikinis. Although, apparently not you. He will be following developments very closely."

Blue started to go red in the face again. He was reminded that here was something that he really really wanted to know about Pink.

"Hum, Esmeralda said that, after I develop a true love bond with someone, my, ah, you know, sex drive will be switched back on, so, hmm ...” he trailed off in embarrassment.

Pity, I don't have a sex drive, but I still feel embarrassed about talking about it...

"Well, ah," Pink's ability to blush was obviously fully functional. She also turned red.

"I know, how about Earth Watch Prime talks to you directly. I'll get my mobile."

She fished in her backpack, and came back with her mobile. In two different pieces, and soaked in what looked like a mixture of squashed bread, juiced vegetables and, for good measure, some of that red fluid that had been leaking from Pink's original and smashed up body.

"That's not really blood, is it?" said Blue.

"No, its hydraulic fluid, with some red dye in it to make it look like blood, just in case I spill some."

"I don't think your phone is going to work... But mine should still be in my bag where I dropped it." said Blue.

Pink raced off, moving very fast. Just like a high-powered robot should go. She came back with Blue's backpack.

"Hello Blue, this is Earth Watch Prime." Blue was holding his phone. As soon as he had picked it up from his bag, it had rang. The voice was the same as the one that came from the articulated robot.

"Going back to the question that was causing you to both blush, yes, in fact Pink is fully human as far as such things go. Except that, curiously, I placed the same restrictions on her sexuality as Esmeralda has placed on yours. Only after she develops a true and lasting relationship will it be switched on. I did it that way because I felt it would be unethical for Pink to form romantic bonds with any man, before that man had a chance to learn about her true nature and make sure he was able to live with it."

There was silence. Both teenagers were looking away from each other.

Blue finally came up with a conversational gambit. "Say, why did you give her pink hair?"

"Because Pink is the first humanoid robot I have ever made. I knew that I wouldn't get everything correct first time round, so I decided to deliberately make Pink look different. In the hope that when anybody around her detected anything strange, they would just attribute it to her appearance and leave it at that."

"But we all called her the pink robot." said Blue.

"Ah, Yes, I'm not sure if that means my scheme succeeded, or if it failed. Whatever."

"So that explains why her body language and facial expressions are often odd, ah, no disrespects, Pink." said Blue.

"It's all right, I know I act strange. Earth Watch Prime has been steadily tweaking my emotional parameters, in order to make me better." said Pink.

"It is difficult, since I have to rely on reading the feelings of other people by looking through Pink's eyes, then guess what Pink's reactions should be. But, Blue, you can help us out here." said Prime.

"I can?"

"Yes, but I need to work out the details. Perhaps we can continue discussing this tomorrow? Being Saturday, you won't be going to school." said Prime.

At this point, Blue, beginning to feel tired and hungry, suggested making their way to Pink's house.

"But all the special food I was going to use got destroyed!" said Pink.

"So, what are we going to eat?" said Blue, stomach complaining, and remembering his uneaten lunch.

"No worries" said Prime. "I shall order you some take away pizza and have it delivered to your current location. Having a powerful computer as your friend has some advantages, you know."

Fifteen minutes later a pizza delivery van hand pulled up alongside the road and handed over the pizzas. Three large ones. Blue made a credible effort to conqueror two of them, only failing at the last slice. After all, he did have an active day, plenty of opportunity to work up an appetite, and he had not eaten lunch. Pink had a more dainty appetite. Not because she could not, in a normal situation, demonstrate a large one, but because her new body was delivered with fully charged batteries. She did not need any replenishing at the moment.

Blue flopped down on the ground and patted his tummy, then wiggled around trying to get comfortable. His clothes were still wet from the river and coated in sand and mud. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be any cuts on his legs, but they sure felt bruised.

"So, do you run on batteries? Is that why you are so heavy?"

"Yes and yes. And I can extract energy from the food I eat to charge them, or I can sleep on an induction-charging mat plugged into the mains to recharge. Personally I think it is a much more effective arrangement than yours. Also my body lasts longer if I recharge from electricity. And I never have to worry about getting fat. Oh, and also, since I eat, I use the toilet just like any human would."

"Right. Robots need to go to the toilet. Ok, I can deal with that. And what's that about lasting longer... wait, as a robot, does that mean you will be a perpetual seventeen year old?"

"No. Every month or so Earth Watch Prime sends down a new body, one that he has carefully adjusted to represent the appearance of a growing teenage girl. He takes back the old body and refurbishes it to be the next one to be used. In fact, my body doesn't have much in the way of self repair mechanisms, so a monthly replacement is essential. I also need to add, even with the body swapping I won't live forever. My brain will start to wear out in about seventy year's time."

"Just like a human's, then?"

"Yes, that's the idea. By having an awareness of my own, limited, mortality, is another help in making me more like a human."

Pink, observing that Blue was showing signs of being weary, said

"How about we make our way to my place now?"

Pink: Welcome to my house

Pink's residence was unusual. The river meandered and made a large half loop, partially surrounding an area of land. The two teenagers walked along roads that took them to the centre of this, passing residential houses, then low-level industrial sites. And in the middle, between a small brick manufacturer and a building salvage yard, was an old boarding house, in a large block. This was where Pink lived. Pink took out her key, unlocked a gate and dragged it open, digging a small furrow in the ground. Locking it behind her, they walked down a laneway between two industrial blocks. Trees and bushes grew at random intervals. They came to the end of the lane and to the edge of the block. The house was towards the front, run down, semi obscured by more trees.

"Here we are, welcome to my house!" said Pink.

She led him to her dining area, and they sat down on her sofa. Blue looked around and decided the place could be characterised as clean and neat, with furnishings from a second hand store.

"Why are you in such an isolated location?"

"Remember me saying I replace my body every month or so? This house has a large block where Prime can land his delivery rocket, and if it is at night there is no one around to hear it."

"Makes sense." Blue yawned and leant back on the sofa. Five minutes later, he was fast asleep. It had been a very busy day.

Pink sat on the sofa and watched him sleep. Earth Watch Prime, aware of everything that Pink might do or think, decided he would remain silent. Let Pink work this one out herself. She gently stroked Blue's hand.

"We have read each other's souls. We know what the other is thinking. We are going to be together. Right."

So she picked him up with easy strength and took him to her room. And as he slept a deep sleep of exhaustion, she removed his clothes, dried him, dressed him in one of her spare pyjamas, and put him into her bed.

"He must be really exhausted."

She put his clothes into the automatic washing machine and dryer, then got into her own pyjamas and got into bed alongside him.

"This is nice." she said as she held his arm. She then willed herself to sleep, which took all of three seconds. This robot was never going to be one who suffered from insomnia.

Blue gradually drifted to awareness sometime early in the morning.

"Where am I? Oh, it looks like I'm in a bed at Pink's place." was his thought.

He turned his head, and found himself looking at the silhouette of Pink's face, next to him. He watched her for many minutes.

"Ok"

It occurred to him that he owed someone an apology.

He thought to himself, as clearly as possible: "Esmeralda, I'm sorry, I got carried away and started blaming you for Pink's accident. Sorry. I wasn't aware that she was so physically tough and would be all right."

There was a brief blue flash, and he got a definite feeling of 'Apology accepted'. He slowly drifted back off to sleep.

It was now morning. The sun streamed in the window and lit up the room. Birds could be heard outside. Blue woke up again. He stretched and sat up in the bed, and realised that Pink was already awake, sitting up and watching him. For the first time he realised that he was wearing pyjamas, the same pattern as Pink's. They were pink (of course) and had pictures of little angels all over them. Angels blowing horns.

"Could these angels be Angels of Death, perhaps?" he said.

"Possibly. Although I mainly brought them because they were pink. My favourite colour, although I'm sure you would have never guessed."

"And you changed my wet clothes last night..." said Blue, starting to turn red yet again.

He also started to turn his head away in embarrassment - when Pink's hand just appeared right next to his chin. Preventing him from looking away. That is, looking away from Pink's also slightly red face.

"Blue, considering all that has occurred, can I assume we are in a relationship?"

He looked at her face. He found he was getting used to her expressions, and could work out what she was thinking. Most of the time. She looked serious.

Deep breath.

"Of course we are. For a start, you know way too much about me for it to be anything else."

Pink giggled. "And you know far too much about me, also."

She went back to serious. "So I think it is time for us to stop being embarrassed. We need to get used to our situation. Like, for example, being in bed together in my pink pyjamas. After all, it’s not as if anything interesting is likely to happen, is it?"

"Hmm. Yes, you're right. From here on, let's take this as just a part of our normal lives." he said.

"Although I do admit, all of this has only taken two days." she said.