Kokoro (Rin ver)
Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid.
"Wake up..."
Someone's calling me...
"Rin, wake up..."
"Rin". My name, right?
"Rin..."
Opening my eyes for the first time, I saw a man looking down at me with a smile on his face. He was young, but intelligent no less. His blue eyes reflected me to myself, enabling me to see my features. I looked somewhat like him, only with a smaller body and was a female.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked patiently.
Searching through the information stored inside my head, I found the information I was looking for. "You are my master, my creator." With a simple nod, he encouraged me.
"And you are?" It took my system a quick second to respond to that question.
"I am Rin, the first robot to be able to have such level of intelligence," I responded in monotone. He reached his hand out and patted my hair. It was soft, but I saw no point.
"Yes, that is correct. But your life wasn't easy to come. I had to overcome many difficulties to create you and bring you to life. Let's just say... You're like a miracle."
"Miracle". That word had caught me, and stayed in my memory. Although at the time I had no idea what that word meant, I had liked it for some reason. Like it was a word meant for me. But I showed no emotion, keeping a composed face, I looked into his bright eyes with my dull ones.
"I'm glad that I was able to create you."
Those words stung me. I felt nothing at all, but I knew those words were somehow special for me. Just to keep him in his happy state, I nodded to show I understood. But it was a lie. I didn't understand what he was so happy about. He just made a robot, what is there to fuss about?
But now, I know.
Many years has passed, around a century I suppose. The lab was old and abandoned, with no one else inside besides me. I was all by myself, with everyone else gone. Through out those many years, humanity has been dying off, leaving only a few to survive. Even if I wasn't a human, I managed to be one of the few left.
The chair that used to belong to master was empty, with only a torn lab coat in his place. Picking up the coat, I examined it closely. The holes will be easy to fix if I had the correct items... Laying the coat back down, I sat down in his seat. The warmth had completely left it, just like him. I played around with the computer, checking out its programs and functions.
Suddenly, I came across a certain folder which caught my eye. I rolled the mouse over it, and slowly read the label."Kokoro", it said. Master had said something about this.
"What are you doing, master?" I stepped inside his room after I had finished reading the book he had given to me earlier in the day. It was thick, the size of two bricks stacked upon each other, but I was able to finish it in within an hour. He turned around in his chair and gave me another one of his smiles.
"Your 'kokoro'," he replied. Tilting my head, I gave him a blank look. With a small laugh, he motioned me over to him. Then he pulled up another chair and offered me a seat. Once I sat down, he looked right into my eyes.
"Rin, you are special, you know everything and your skill to do absolutely everything is wonderful." I had known all this already. He has been saying this over and over every single day. But I gave a nod to be "polite", as he had taught me.
"But... You are missing something. Something that completes you." I blinked, trying to think of a fit response for this. I didn't want to sound rude, my system tells me that'd make him sad, and I wouldn't do that to him.
"Missing?" was the best I could come up with. There were a million of other answers, but I guess that could suffice.
"Yes, Rin. And that, is your 'kokoro', heart." Clutching my chest, I felt nothing, not even a beat. From my system, I knew humans needed hearts to beat. So I stretched out my hand and placed it on his chest. He was shocked at first, but he smiled. I suddenly felt the beating in his chest get faster and stronger. It was such an amazing sensation. For a robot, I had felt... Jealous, that I wasn't able to have that... Yet.
"When will it be completed?" I said as I rested my arm on my lap. He shrugged in response.
"Who knows? This might take long because it is, scientifically impossible, to create a robotic heart that works exactly like a human one." He hugged me close. I felt the beating again. It thumped onto my chest, which had no beating at all. "I want you to experience things we humans feel. Mostly, what I want is you to feel emotion."
"But I know the emotions. Love, like, envy, hate, dislike, happy, sad, mad. There happens to be a lot in my memory. Shall I continue, master?" Shaking his head, he only hugged me tighter.
"No. I want you to feel it. Not know it. Feeling it is extremely different, and if you ask, much more beautiful." i backed away from him and placed both hands on my lap.
"But my memory says that anger is distasteful. It actually hurts to be in anger. So how is that beautiful?" For a moment, I thought I saw his eyes falter slightly. Instead of his usual happy expression, he seemed... Depressed.
"You'll know once I complete this." Then he pulled out another book, one thicker than the last. "For now, why not read this little story? It's called the 'Evil Chronicles'. It's a great read and very saddening at the same time to. Enjoy it while reading, Rin." I received the book in my small arms. It was heavy, but I was able to overcome that. If master said it was good, it was good. If he says something is bad, it's bad. Whatever he says is absolute. I listen and obey him because he is my master.
"Koko...ro?" I said. I considered if I should open it. Master never announced that he was finished with it. But that was possibly because he had gotten too sick and needed a rest. Maybe he had finished it but just never told me because of his condition. Moving forward in my seat, I moved the mouse on top of the folder.
I heard coughing from master's room. It was very severe and sounded very urgent. I immediately ran inside and saw him crounched over his desk. Walking next to him, I saw small pools of blood on the desk and floor. His mouth was stained and so was his coat sleeves. As he continued to spat out blood, I searched my memory for the treatment. "This disease is very harmful to you, master. You need to be treated as soon as possible. I will go to the clinic and get some medicine for you."
But before I was able to run, he grabbed me, accidentally smearing my wrist with his blood. "No, I need to finish this before I do anything else." Leaning on the table, I weakly reached for the mouse and keyboard. While he typed, he coughed and coughed. I didn't know why but every time he coughed, something in me made me twitch on the inside.
"Why...?" I started to say. But I suddenly saw the determination in his eyes. Even in his weak state, he was still so focused on finishing this "kokoro". And so, I stood behind him, silently watching him work while his coughing got worse to more worse.
Until he breathed his last breath.
The folder was right there in front of me. My finger was ready to click on it, and open the program. Breathing in deeply, I tried to mimic master's face when he was making the "kokoro". My pointer pressed down twice, the mouse on the screen became a loading symbol.
All of a sudden, I found myself surrounded in light. The computer protruded something brighter from its screen. The "kokoro". Extending my arms, I welcomed it. It found its place in me, and settled in my chest.
A burst of energy flowed from me, and the light was gone. My cheek felt wet. When I touched it, I saw it was water. But not just any water. My system told me that it was... Tears? How was this possible? For a robot to cry tears...
No, I am not just a plain heartless robot now. I am a robot, with a "kokoro".
Memories formed in my mind. The memories I had spent with master. What is this...? My chest thumped so hard and loud it sounded in my ears. The tears flowed down all at once, my face scrunched up in a painful expression.
Why am I crying?
Every single moment with him, I remembered it all. From the time I woke up, to his death. The tears came and came, never seeming to stop.
"Rin."
I bawled at the top of my lungs.
"Rin."
The pain in my chest grew larger and larger.
"Rin."
For every time he said my name, I felt happy. Every time he coughed, I felt sad. Every time he did something silly, I laughed. But the most outstanding emotion I was feeling was...
Loneliness.
Master had imputed that into my memory, but he had never spoke much about it.
"I don't feel lonely at all. With you by my side, I feel so happy."
That's why he was so glad he created me. He was lonely. All by himself, cramped in this small lab, he wanted someone to love, and for that someone to love him back. And now, I was feeling exactly like him before he had made me.
I now understand. I understand why I was created. Not for science, not for the world. It was for him, master himself. I was his "someone". He was my "someone". He was gone now, the sadness consumed me.
Getting to my legs, I staggered over to his seat. Hugging the old lab coat, I continued to cry. The only proof that he was alive. The memories in this coat, the faint warmth of him that still remained. It was all what I wanted.
"Sing."
My eyes widened as my system told me something.
"Sing for him."
"I... I will sing. For you..." Displaying my system functions, I pressed record.
And then, I sang.
"Master, you have an email." I walked over to him and placed down a tray of tea.
"Who is it from?" he asked me. Imitating him when he didn't know something, I shrugged and opened it for him.
"Please see for yourself." I said. Waiting patiently, I saw his eyes go wide once he read the name of the sender.
"...Play the mail," he said in a whisper. Following his command, I pressed the play button.
A flow of words came from the email. I didn't understand what the song was meant, but I loved the tune so I hummed along.
"Thank you..." I was stunned how alike the singer and I sounded. And that "thank you"... What did that mean?
"Thank you..." Glancing at master, I saw tears overflowing from his eyes. He stared into space, the song entrancing him.
"Thank you for everything." Then, the song cut off. He just stared at nothing, the tears still falling. I got up and wipped his tear away with a tissue.
"Master?" Coming out from that trance, he jolted and turned to me.
"Oh, yes. Sorry. What is it, Rin?" He looked at me more intensely than he ever did before.
"What was that song about? I never understood it."
Before I knew it, master was hugging me. He hugged me so tight I almost couldn't breathe. But this hug felt more nicer than any other. Into my ear, he whispered...
My voice... It stopped. I fell to the ground, my body crackling with electricity. My hand reached for his coat, and pulled it close. I knew what was happening. Now, it is my turn to take my last breath. This "kokoro"... It was wonderful. Although it was just for a short moment, those few moments were so memorable. I draped the lab coat over my electricity covered body and rested against the wall.
My system started to lag, my memory soon disappearing, one by one. I soon forgot my own name, and who that familiar looking face was. I forgot who was the one he taught me, the one who cared for me, the one who created me.
But there was suddenly a new memory. It was that same unknown face. He was hugging me, was crying tears, smiling a smile I knew I've seen before. In a soft voice, he said two words that made me cry one last tear.
"You're welcome."
That was my final memory, the best and most emotion filled one I ever had.
The robot died, too overwhelmed by the "kokoro". But she died happily, with a beautiful memory in her mind. She died as a beautiful girl as she was alive. With the same exact smile of the one she loves, and his coat hugging her cold body, being her only source of warmth.
END
A.N. I should be updating my other fanfics, yes, I know. But I just heard this song and I couldn't help myself. And while I was writing this, Kagepro was playing. A story of feels while listening to them, ha. But don't worry, I'll probably get the next chapter for my other fanfics out soon.
Review if you want. It's not required.