Malfunction

He noticed it, Dita was getting quieter every day, it has been a month since Eldas, or how she was now called, Chiis , program started and changed every persocom. After a few days Dita got quieter and did not answer him when he asked what is wrong with her. He was worried, because she seemed stressed and was completely absent sometimes. He watched her staring at some birds for 2 hours straight, and when he tried to talk to her she didn´t give him any kind of response. Just when he shook her violently she finally snapped out of it. But when he told to her to get a check up she refused completely and didn´t gave in no matter how hard he tried.

She could feel it. Eldas program was getting into her system, but her system wasn´t made to do anything different than protecting Zima and herself from viruses, so she felt how her own system fought Eldas with great strength. It was hard on her, but she endured it, trying to figure out when it would end. She noticed the way Zima looked at her worried, so she tried to hide it even more. She knew he was was sad, because of her. They had been together since they were created and she lived only for him. She had already sent an e-mail to the government, telling them her issue and they gave her orders that she would follow at any cost. Even if it meant losing everything. Even her live.

Zima sighed. Dita had been silent for the whole day, just staring out of the window. He took her body into his arms, but even then she did not react, just if he tried to plug himself into her, she would slowly raise her hand to protect her ear. In the past days her movements got even slower and she was absent minded even more than she was before. When he asked for advise from the government they told him everything was alright, but he still couldn´t stop worrying.

She felt tired, so incredibly tired slowly she read the mail the government send her and smiled, she fulfilled her orders. Now she could go to sleep, but still, she somehow didn´t want to. She had to stay awake just for now. After he would be back, after she saw him she could go to sleep.

He dropped his shopping backs when he saw her. She was laying on the floor and din´t seem to have any energy left. "Dita!" he shouted. She lifted her head slowly. "Zima, you´re back." she whispered with a quiet , almost non existent voice. He ran up to her and kneeled down. "What is wrong Dita? What happened?" he asked loudly. "It alright, everything is ok, you don´t need to worry they will give you another protector, I already managed everything." she mumbled. "What? Why should I get someone different, I want you not anyone else!" he gasped and she slowly answered : "My system is for protecting you against viruses, so it fought Eldas program, but it lost, so it is shutting me down, in order to save you, it has always been that way, but still somehow... I want to stay, but that would be selfish, so..." "What? Why didn´t you tell me, we have to do something you can´t go I need you not your protecting system YOU. We have to hurry to a technician!" he shouted out and already took up the phone, but Dita gripped onto his sleeve and and slowly muttered "It is OK I was built this way, you can´t do anything against it, I will shut me down whatever you do, you can´t do anything against it. It is OK, I fulfilled my orders." "But why are you crying then?" She lifted her hand to her face and noticed tears were streaming down her cheeks. "See, you are not OK!" he noted and hugged her tightly. After a few seconds she put her arms around his back. "Zima. Zima, I don´t want to go!" she sobbed. " I will bring you to a technician now so hold on, please hold on Dita!" He begged. He took her tiny body in his arms and ran out of the house, which they lived in since the program started. "Zima, was I of any use of you?" Dita asked quietly after a few minutes. "Of course you were and you will also be in the future so hang on !" he replied while running. Dita took a deep breath."Thank you, Zima. Thank you for everything you have done for me... You know Elda´s program told me something and I really want to tell you. I now think persocoms can be in love, like I am with you. Do you like me?" she faintly whispered while slightly blushing . "Of course I love you Dita, how could I not, but please stop speaking for now and just hang on,please." he sobbed. After that Dita didn´t talk anymore, and Zima didn´t stop running even when her body stopped moving and got heavy. Even when he was told Dita would never speak, or do anything in general anymore, when he was told she was dead, that she malfunctioned and couldn´t be repaired no matter what they were to do. He was like a broken doll. Dita, his sweet Dita, she had always been by his side, silently protecting him, but throwing in her own opinion on things as well. Dita that once told him that persocoms could not fall in love. Dita who told him that she loves him. Dita who now was not there anymore. He completely stopped talking, even when they introduced him to his new partner he didn´t even look at him, because he knew that nothing could ever replace Dita and after a few month he simply stopped working, just like Freya, he died because of a broken heart.