Define: Leader
It was beginning to become something harder and harder to bear. Every single action they took, they for some reason queried him as to how it should be done. Should we go left or right? Should we build it here or there? And each and every time he consulted the manual and it held not a single answer.
They wanted a leader, someone to guide them through this new old world; and he was nothing more than a simple man who'd spent part of his life doing morning announcements and held the title of Captain.
"Computer, define 'leader.'"
The machine whirred, pulling up image after image of important looking men and women.
"Leader. One who is in charge or in command of others. A person who guides and inspires others."
Captain McCrea sighed, rubbing his forehead for a headache that he knew was inevitable. Today they had asked him whether it was better to paint the new building red or blue. It seemed like such a menial question, but they all gazed as him like he held some higher knowledge on which would be best.
"Computer, I'm going out. Don't let any other transport bots follow me."
He felt like a coward for running away from the problem, but he really couldn't deal with it. He needed to get away from all the pressure and expectations. Summoning up a transport bot for himself, he asked it to take him one place he thought he might find some solitude.
WALL-E wasn't at his trailer when Captain McCrea arrived, but EVE was. He wasn't too surprised to see the probe droid hovering around the place. If there was one thing throughout all the excitement and confusion that he was certain of, it was that it was thanks to WALL-E and EVE and their connection that they were back on Earth in the first place.
"Hello, EVE."
The droid stopped, giving the man a salute. "Captain."
"Yeah, that's all I am too. A title," he grumbled, waddling over to a lawn chair WALL-E had propped against the wall and unfolding it.
EVE looked perplexed and floated over next to him. "Captain?"
He forced a smile. "WALL-E out working?"
She nodded, but wasn't about to let him change the subject. "Pro-blem?"
Captain McCrea sighed. "Yeah, something like that. They want me to pick what color to paint the building- red or blue. And I just don't know, EVE. It's like they expect me to have all the answers, they look up to me sort of like how all the robots look to WALL-E and you. Except I don't deserve it."
EVE's posture drooped and she firmly shook her head.
"What have I done, EVE? If it wasn't for you and WALL-E we would have never returned to Earth. You should be the leaders here, not me. It was you that inspired us."
The probe droid huffed and started quickly punching buttons on her chest keypad. She might not have the visual projection device with her, but EVE wasn't about to sit back and let the Captain belittle what good he'd done for everyone. Several quick punches later, a small speaker compartment opened up in her inner control panel.
EVE placed a hand on the Captain's shoulder and intently stared at him. Did he really not know how brave he was? How he, like EVE herself, had broken out of the programmed lives they'd been living?
"Captain. Listen."
She pressed a button and a small screen below the speaker read out Activating memory sound chip. Time log 255600.1027.
A bit of dead air and static crackled before the familiar voices came from the sound chip.
"No! It's completely relevant! Out there is our home. Home, Auto! And it's in trouble. I can't just sit out here and do nothing. That's all anyone's ever done on this blasted ship- nothing!"
"On the Axiom, you will survive."
"I don't want to survive! I want to live!"
EVE switched off the playback and looked the Captain in the eyes, daring him to deny that he'd been the one behind those words.
"But..." The Captain faltered, finally cracking a smile as he realized that EVE was right. "Okay, but that doesn't mean I know what color to tell them to paint things."
"Inspire," EVE echoed his previous words.
"Well there's nothing good or bad about red or blue. Both are fine." Captain McCrea paused, thinking that over. "Both...both are fine, EVE that's it! There isn't a right or wrong answer, both are right!"
Her eyes arched up as she giggled, glad to see that the Captain was back in better spirits.
The front door creaked open and the Captain wondered if someone had come looking for him after all, but it was just WALL-E coming home after a day at work.
"Eee-vah! Cap-tain!" He chirped, rolling over towards them and pulling his lunch box around to his front side. Opening up the box, he reached in and pulled out something, showed it to EVE and pointed to the Captain.
"WALL-E!" EVE trilled, wrapping the smaller bot in a hug. WALL-E sighed in contentment. Unbeknownst to him, he'd just picked up the perfect thing to give to the Captain and EVE was thrilled.
Handing the item back to WALL-E gently, she urged him towards Captain McCrea. Nodding, WALL-E rolled over to the man and handed it to him.
"What? For me?"
"Gi-" WALL-E paused, looking to EVE and trying to remember the word she used for it.
"Gift," she stated.
"Gif-ta," the little trash bot echoed pushing it into the Captain's hands.
Slowly, the Captain turned it around. It was a- oh what had the computer called it? - a mug, that was it. It had come up when he'd asked the computer about coffee. On one side of it, it read World's Best Boss and had a picture of a man with a crown standing atop the Earth.
His face broke into a wide grin. "Thank you, WALL-E."
WALL-E perked up and patted him on the shoulder.
"Thank you, both," the Captain said as he managed an awkward hug, his stubby arms barely reaching around WALL-E and EVE at the same time. "You're right. I have a duty to uphold. I'm the Captain of the Axiom. If they want a leader then- well, I'll try my best to be him!"
The two robots chirped happily.
Later that day when the people once again asked the Captain what color to paint things, he confidently answered.
"There isn't a right or wrong color. If you like red, paint it red. If you like blue, paint it blue. Or paint it both red and blue. Or yellow." Captain McCrea smiled. "Just remember, that it's up to you. This is your world now, so you can make it what you want!"
THE END