A/N: I was recently watching Chobits for nostalgia's sake and happened to listen to Brave Little Toaster's "Cutting Edge" and "Worthless". An idea formed. They are Persocoms after all. Just computers and they will break down eventually. What are their owners' thoughts on the theoretical situation?
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Chobits and all related characters and content belong to CLAMP. No profit is being made except for pure entertainment.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Reality Sets In
"City officials will be holding a public meeting next month on the growing "Persocom Graveyard" problem. Disposal Management Services is having an increasingly difficult time in properly breaking down the many deactivated Persocom units. Environmental activists are urging recycling plants to come up with a seemingly impossible solution. Recently, experts-"
"Boy, who knew that such a thing could be possible! I mean, I thought that Persocoms were the perfect companions for everyone!" Hideki Motosuwa commented on the news blaring at My Pleasure's break room. The pub owner's daughter, Yumi, had a different opinion.
"I can understand why. People too often forget that Persocoms are just computers. They simply look like humans. It's really scary if you look at the pictures. The landfill looks like a scene out of a horror movie. Just mountains of the lifeless bodies of the deactivated Persocoms." Yumi's thoughts trailed off as she became lost once again in a personal battle.
"But I can't throw Chi away. I'll never throw Chi away!" Hideki didn't want to think about what he'd do if...no when...Chi stopped functioning. "I found her in the trash. I can't send her back to it!"
"But senpai, Chi will break down eventually. She's really cute, I admit, but she's still a computer. I guess in that aspect, they are like humans. Everyone of us will stop functioning at some point...Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm trailing off into my own thoughts again! I freaked you out didn't I, senpai?" Yumi bowed frantically, but looked up quite puzzled as Hideki gave no response.
"Yumi's right. What will I do when Chi stops functioning? Can she be saved somehow? I think that you can transfer information or whatever, but I don't know how to do that! Maybe another Persocom unit can be made to look exactly like Chi. But even worse...What if I were to die and Chi's left alone? No one can simply transfer my mind into another human body. And if they somehow did, it wouldn't be me!"
Hideki was left again in his own thoughts.
A Simple Replacement
"Dita love, what would you do if I crashed and couldn't be restarted?"
Zima's questions were always random in Dita's opinion. Opinion? She had logic systems, not opinions.
"What kind of question is that, Zima?" Somehow, she didn't want to picture the answer that Zima was looking for. "You're the National Data Bank. They wouldn't let you be discarded like the ones in the 'Persocom Graveyard'."
"Maybe not, but what if they replaced me with another unit entirely? Would you miss my pretty face?" Zima couldn't help it. Dita's reactions to his teasing were too adorable. If only she'd openly return his feelings. But first, she'd have to understand them. He wouldn't give up until she dropped the entire 'Persocom Act'.
"No. I'd just do what I was programmed to do with the new model." Dita turned away from her ward, arms crossed in a huff.
Zima smirked playfully. 'She's trying to distract herself from the answer. She'd be blushing if she could. That's my cute, stubborn girl.'
"So, you really can't answer my question, eh? Well, sorry for wasting your time." Zima slid back into his relaxed position on the rooftop and recharged with the same goofy smile on his face.
Dita glanced over her shoulder at Zima. 'I'd go down with you. There will never be another Zima.'
Blood is Thicker Than Water
"'Persocom Graveyard'. So that's what they're calling it now." Minoru Kokobunji tapped on his computer screen with a stylus as he overheard the newscast about the growing Persocom waste problem. "It makes no sense that-"
"Lord Minoru, I've brought you tea." a soft, sweet voice interrupted his ponderings.
"Thank you, Yuzuki. That's very kind of you."
Yuzuki let that beautiful smile bloom on her face. It was a smile that made Minoru sad at times. It's the same way that his sister smiled.
'Kaede...Why did she have to die? It's not fair. She too was put into a graveyard. Can I do the same to Yuzuki?'
"Lord Minoru? Is there something wrong?" Yuzuki's sweet smile disappeared and was replaced by a concerned frown.
Minoru hugged his Persocom tightly in response.
Silence
Shinbo created Sumomo himself. The tiny, pink bundle of energy was his pet project. What was the point of creating Persocoms if they were going to be bland machines simply meant to serve their owners?
Sumomo would be lively and perky. Shinbo didn't mind noise.
But Shinbo had a fear of Sumomo's noise ceasing forever. He knew it would one day, but he had a plan to delay that final silence. He made sure to have many back-ups of her data. He could easily buy another model matching the specifications he'd used before. They were computers after all. But despite that, it would still hurt to see his darling Sumomo give the 'blank stare of death'.
"WAKEY WAKEY EXERCISE TIME!" came his typical morning greeting. Confetti and whistles filled the morning air in his apartment.
He smiled and joined in.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: I hoped that you enjoyed my first ever Chobits story! Thanks for reading!