He'd been against the idea right from the start. Maybe he was old-fashioned, but in his mind being a Ranger was an honour, a privilege—something you had to earn. Space Rangers would never be something you got off an assembly line.
Which was why the first dozen times the LGMs had come to him with the idea of a robot Ranger, Commander Nebula had sent them scurrying out his office with his yells echoing behind them.
Robots had their place, he admitted that, and they were becoming an increasingly familiar sight throughout the galaxy, but the moment you started treating them like people you had a problem. Machines could do a lot of things, but they'd never have the heart organics had. How could you trust one to make the moral judgements necessary in a Ranger's line of work?
As time went on, however, and the need for more people than he could spare arose, he finally commissioned a robot taskforce to supplement the Rangers. Guardbots, they were called—simple robots with limited reasoning skills and zero personality. Just the way Nebula wanted it. They did what robots were supposed to do—serve people. And they worked great, up to a point.
With Zurg becoming an ever increasing threat to the fragile peace the Galactic Alliance had created, Star Command needed more officers to combat the emperor's mass produced Hornet armies. And Guardbots weren't going to cut it. So after months of begging and pleading, the LGMs finally got their way. Nebula gave the order to construct a fully aware, personality-endowed robot Ranger. He regretted it the moment he signed the authorisation papers.
Development went ahead and he oversaw the process, vetoing the LGM's idea for a humanoid body and opting for something less threatening. This was a trial run after all—if something went wrong, they wanted a robot that would be easy to deal with. So the battle droid the LGMs had planned turned into a cute, bucket-shaped little bot.
Soon they started calling it "XL", and it became a him. Nebula snorted when he heard this, but he kept his thoughts to himself. If it made the LGMs happy to think of the machine as a living being, more power to them.
By the time the day of activation arrived, even he'd found himself calling it by its name.
The little robot was stretched out on the table, its arms lying limp and the optics dead. Nebula folded his arms, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. He just wanted it to be over with. Part of him almost hoped the machine wouldn't turn on.
"Ready, Commander!" the LGMs announced. All eyes centered on the bot.
He grunted and gave a curt nod.
One of the LGMs flicked a switch and power surged through the cables attached to XL, filling his powerpack with energy. The motors began to shudder and jerk, and the optics flickered on. Everyone held their breath.
Slowly, the robot sat up, its face expressionless. Nebula shifted uncomfortably and waited. The bright crimson head turned to him and the optics seemed to glow brighter. "Dad!"
He hadn't known what to expect, but this would never have been his guess. Nebula stared at the machine, a frown forming on his face.
"Dad?" he barked. "What in blazes are you talking about?"
"Dad," XL repeated, his mouth curling up in a smile.
Oh, for pete's sake! Nebula put his hands on his hips. "You're a robot! You don't have a 'dad'!"
"Au contraire," the robot chirped. Its voice was harsh, less monotone than he was used to from a robot, but it spoke with the simple joy of a child. "According to my databanks, you signed my creation authorisation—without you, I wouldn't exist!"
Nebula rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Look, I wanna see some proof this project worked as planned. State your name and purpose."
The robot saluted. "Robot Ranger XL reporting for duty, Commander! Mission objective: to protect and defend the Galactic Alliance!"
"Very good," the commander sighed. "Alright, well, uh..." He glanced at the LGMs. "Good work, fellas. Keep me updated on the project's progress." Turning around swiftly, he marched out the room without looking back to see if the robot still had its eyes on him.
It'd been a week. The LGMs' progress reports sounded encouraging so far, detailing XL's learning process and the tests he was undergoing. Everything about him checked out. Nebula dropped the reports on his desk and slumped in his chair.
He wasn't sorry things were going well, of course—if the project was a success, they could create an army of robots rivalling Zurg's, only with far greater mental capacities. Maybe they'd even be able to bring the evil emperor in once and for all. But Nebula's gut continued to twist itself in knots over the whole idea. It just doesn't feel right.
Pushing the chair back, he made up his mind. It was time for another visit with the robot. Maybe that'd ease his fears. He made his way to the Science Bay.
When he walked in, his eyebrows rose at the sight of XL slam-dunking a basketball through a floating hoop. A cheer rose among the LGMs and XL threw his hands in the air, as if accepting the applause of an adoring crowd. Nebula tugged at his moustache, unsure how to react to the scene.
"Dad!" The robot caught sight of him and abandoned the game, rushing to Nebula's feet. Its little arms wrapped around him, locking tightly over his legs. "Where were you? I was worried! You never came back and they wouldn't let me see you."
Nebula tried to shake the robot off, but its grip tightened. "Listen, I'm not your dad and I had more important things to do than visit you!"
"Oh." The arms retracted and XL looked away. "Sorry." Then he brightened. "But you're here now, right?"
Putting a palm over his face, Nebula nodded. "Yeah. Sure."
"Great!" XL rushed back to the ball and launched it at Nebula. Instinct made him grab it. "Wanna play?"
"What?!" He let the ball slip from his hands and smack noisily against the floor. "Of course not!"
"But Dad—"
"No!"
"Aww. Okay." The robot's posture sagged. "I know you're busy, Dad."
Against his better judgement, Nebula found himself picking up the ball. "I— Alright, look, fine. But just one game. I really don't have time for this." He could barely believe what his was doing.
"Aw, yeah!" With a whoop the robot circled Nebula. "Okay, Pop, let's see which one of us is the champion!"
"Yeah? Well it ain't gonna be you, short stuff!" The slap of rubber on metal filled the Science Bay as Nebula dribbled the ball across the room, making for the net. Dodging XL, he flung the ball at the net and punched the air when it went through. "Score one for Team Nebula!"
"Don't be so sure!" snorted XL, shoving him out the way and grabbing the ball.
The match lasted some twenty minutes, with more and more LGMs gathering around to watch the extraordinary sight of their commander engaged in a heated game of basketball with a tiny robot. By the end of it, sweat was dripping from Nebula's forehead and he was hoarse from yelling and laughing, while XL was slowing as his powercell ran low.
They declared it a tie, though XL insisted he'd won based on a technicality, and the pair collapsed against the wall, breathless.
"Some game, huh, Dad?" XL grinned.
"It was okay," gasped Nebula. "I must... be... a little rusty." He drew another breath. "Next time I'll beat you for sure!"
"We'll see about that!"
"You bet we will!"
They laughed.
He seemed to be visiting XL every day now. Paperwork went unsigned on his desk and he ceased his daily pacing of the command deck, preferring to spend his hours in the Science Bay. Some days he and XL played checkers; sometimes they battled it out on the makeshift basketball court. Sometimes they just sat and talked. It was hilarious, he sometimes thought—he, Nebula, was becoming attached to a babbling little tin can. Who'd have thought?
He even let the robot call him dad sometimes. It was beginning to feel natural.
"No, no, you colour green there—see." He painstakingly pointed out the correct colours for the picture. XL nodded and grabbed another crayon, biting his tongue as he concentrated on the colouring page. "That's right," Nebula nodded.
Though he had a huge inbuilt database with whole encyclopaedias' worth of technical knowledge, XL remained very much a child. The LGMs were teaching him new things every day, but it would be a long time before he was ready to be sent into action. Secretly, Nebula was glad. There was something endearing about the robot's innocence.
"Did I tell you about tomorrow?" XL piped up excitedly as he finished the picture. "The LGMs say I'm ready for my first weapons training test! That'll be a real hoot—are you coming?"
"'course I am. Wouldn't miss it."
"Do you think I'll do well?"
"Sure. But don't you worry, it's not about how well you do—it's about learning new things."
The robot shrugged. "I know, but I wanna make you proud!" His smile wavered. "You are proud of me, right?"
"Of course. You're quite something—for a robot."
"Gee, thanks, Dad!" XL flung himself around Nebula, in as wide an embrace as his little arms would allow, and the commander didn't bother pushing him away.
"Dad, how do I look?"
Nebula glanced down and frowned at the robot he was escorting through the halls. "What? You look the same as you always do!"
"I wanna look good for the test. Do you think my metal is shiny enough? Should I put another coat of polish on?"
He rolled his eyes. "It's weapons training, not a beauty pageant! Now pipe down and keep moving or we'll be late!"
When they entered the Science Bay, everything had been set up for the testing. An array of weapons gleamed on a table, varying in size and power, and LGMs with clipboards dotted the room. A series of targets had been set up at the far end—some moving and some stationary, to test XL's skill. It often took months of training for cadets to become proficient with all the weapons, but the LGMs assured Nebula XL would soon master them. He'd already been programmed with multiple combat techniques.
"Off you go, Junior." Nebula gestured towards the LGMs. "Make me proud."
"You got it, Dad!" XL beamed.
He watched XL join the LGMs, the robot babbling to them as his excitement bubbled over. Nebula found himself smiling. There was a strange feeling in his gut again, only it wasn't apprehension anymore... more like an almost paternal feeling of pride. Hmph, he crossed his arms. He's just a robot. He's not my son, no matter what the crazy kid thinks. He'd given up the idea of a family when he put on his uniform. He certainly wasn't going to play father to a robot.
But... all the same... he didn't mind XL calling him dad anymore.
"Ready, XL?" the LGMs asked in unison.
XL nodded vigorously. "You betcha!" He grabbed the first gun.
"Remember, you're a Space Ranger," Nebula called. "You're the only thing standing between the forces of evil and innocent civilians. Don't give up until the threat has been neutralised!"
An LGM flicked a switch. "Commencing simulation."
The first target moved into place and a red bullseye lit up on its chest. XL shut his eyes and squeezed the trigger.
The blast ripped through, sending styrofoam splinters flying. Nebula began to applaud, but XL wasn't done yet. He didn't cease firing, keeping his finger locked on the trigger and yelling as he pummelled the target with blasts until it was nothing more than blackened ashes.
"Okay, calm down, XL!" Nebula cautioned. "You got him, no need to overdo it."
"Did I do good?" The robot looked at him hopefully.
"Sure. You took out the threat, just like you were supposed to."
They moved on to the next weapon. "Moving target this time," the LGMs told him. "Harder to hit."
XL folded his arms. "I can handle it. Just watch me!"
A thick round laser cannon was fitted to his chest and XL lined up with the target. The switch was flipped and the target sprang to life, pulling to the side before XL could get off a shot.
"Aw, hey, man! No fair!" The robot pouted and fired wildly, but the target was already two feet away from where his shots landed. "Come back here!"
"You have to anticipate its movements, XL!" advised Nebula. "Remember, you're defending the Galactic Alliance against evil. Shoot at the slightest sign of movement! Get it before it has a chance to get away—the lives of your fellow Rangers could depend on you in situations like these!"
The robot set his mouth in a firm line. "I'll make you proud, Dad!" He feinted a move to the left, leapt to the right, and burst a hole through the target's chest with several well-timed blasts.
"Alright, XL!"
"You're gonna be proud, Dad!" XL repeated. "I'll get him!" He fired again and again, shattering the target.
Nebula nodded, gesturing to the LGMs to get the next weapon. "Now you can try—"
"Don't worry, Dad," the robot interrupted. "I won't give up until all threats have been removed!"
"That's great, but—"
He swung around, scanning the room. His gaze seemed to fix on the LGM picking the next weapon from the table. Bolting across the room, XL made straight for it, his optics burning red. "I got him, Dad!"
Frozen in place, Nebula stared at the charging robot. "XL, what in blazes are you doing?!"
"I'll protect you!"
"But—"
The LGM dropped the gun and dove forward as a blast ripped through the air, missing its head by inches. "Ahh!"
Suddenly there were LGMs screaming and running everywhere, their own fears ignited by the terror of their colleague. This seemed to increase XL's fury.
"I'll get them for you, Dad!"
His instincts taking over, Nebula grabbed some of the LGMs and shoved them out the way as XL let shots loose at random. "XL, no! Stop!"
XL wasn't listening. "Ahh!" he yelled, spinning around as he shot up the Science Bay. Sparks fell from consoles that were ripped open and some of the lights went out. Screams filled the room, everything turning to chaos as the LGMs ran in circles, some crashing into each other and others making for the door. XL fixed his eyes on those ones and rolled his treads after them. "I'm not letting you get away!"
"Come back here!" Nebula waved his fist, running after the robot as fast as his metal leg would allow.
XL hesitated, and Nebula wondered if he was finally getting through to him. "I have to stop them!" he protested.
"No! Listen, XL, they aren't the enemy! Get back here before you hurt someone!"
Something passed over XL's face, and he paused a moment longer. Then his expression hardened. "'Don't give up until the threat has been neutralised.' You said it yourself! I can't let anyone get in my way!" The beady optics narrowed. "Not even you!"
"What are you—" It was his reflexes that saved him as Nebula suddenly ducked, feeling a hot blast pass over him. "For pete's sake, XL, it's me!"
XL didn't look at him. Another LGM caught his eye and he charged after it. "All threats must be destroyed!"
The chaos continued, with LGMs running screaming in all directions. Casting a glance to the left, Nebula saw one LGM sitting dazed beside a console, where it had ducked to escape the fire. "Hey," he called. "Isn't there anything you can do to stop him? What in blue blazes is wrong with him?"
"Must be a system malfunction," the LGM gulped. "He was programmed to follow orders, but he is no longer interpreting those orders correctly."
"He's trying to kill us all!"
"He thinks he is obeying his instructions. He believes we are threats to be eliminated."
"Well, do something! Sooner or later someone's gonna get hurt!"
The LGM pointed to a lever. "We installed a failsafe shutdown protocol. When activated, it induces a complete system shutdown. XL will be taken offline."
Nebula nodded. "Do it."
Rising hesitantly and keeping one eye on the rampaging robot, the LGM grabbed the lever and shoved it down. The result was immediate. XL stopped shooting and his movements slowed, bringing him to a halt in the centre of the room. He looked at Nebula, the angry determination seeping away. Despair entered his eyes as he seemed to realise he was shutting down.
"But Dad," his voice was already slowing, growing softer as power left his body, "what did I do wrong? Aren't you proud of m—" His optics dimmed and he hit the floor with a thunk.
Nebula found himself looking away.
"Don't worry, Commander!" The LGMs came out of hiding. "We will correct the programming and have XL up and running in no time."
Spinning around to face them, Nebula shook his head. "Are you crazy? After what just happened you think I'm gonna let you start that robot up again?!" He was responsible for the safety of everyone on Star Command. He couldn't put his people in danger again—not for the sake of a robot. "How do I know something like this won't happen again? This is why you can't trust machines—you wouldn't have this problem with a real Ranger! No matter how much programming you stuff into them, no robot is ever gonna know the difference between right and wrong. They'll just let you down!"
"But what will we do with XL?"
That made Nebula pause. The right thing to do was get rid of him—XL was a threat to everyone on Star Command. The LGMs could strip him for parts and destroy his memory chip. XL would never be able to hurt anyone again.
"Put him—it—in storage," he replied at last. "And never mention the words 'robot Ranger' again."
His pegleg clinked loudly on the metal floor as he stormed out.