SHUT IN'S
An Astro Boy /Reno fan fiction
By Dan Rush
© Astro Boy 1954, 1960, 1980, 2003 Osamu Tezuka Productions LTD and Sony Pictures. All rights respected. For non-profit fandom enjoyment only.
Noon
December 21st
Ministry of Science, Metro City
Reno Takahashi had a busy morning so far. Two program re-sets, four calibrations, five virus checks….and one Class C maintenance robot who thought he was Adonis…
"And just how much were you lifting?" Reno asked with a smirk.
"Oh….three tons." The robot replied.
"Yeah right." Reno snorted. "You're rated for four. Would you like to try for the grand prize?"
The robot sighed…."Ok….seven tons."
Reno bonked him off the head. "This is why you're now laying on your stomach. Never try to go over your rated tonnage?" Reno took a moment to look outside his big picture window, noting the snow was now falling much more than before…"Looks like it's going to be a real white out today."
The Robot, named Heron, looked at the window too. "The internet's put out a blizzard warning."
"Well the weather here changes like every five minutes so we might get sunshine and 80 degrees in another hour." Reno replied as he continued to work on Heron's back. Suddenly he heard his door open and watched as Astro popped into the foyer and flopped on the floor to pull his wet moon boots off…
"School's out?" Reno asked.
"Uh huh…or did you miss the report that a blizzard is coming?" Astro took his thick winter jacket, scarf and gloves off and hung them on a rack. The whole concept made Reno laugh; as if Astro had even the need to bundle up in anything but Yuko and the Doctor seemed to have it hard wired in their heads that Astro was "indecent" in his black trunks.
Astro walked up to the table and looked at Heron. "Not again?"
"Don't make a federal case of it please Astro?" Heron replied.
"So…." Reno asked. "Why don't you go home? I would think the Doctor would want you home to watch Zoran?"
"She's fine. She got home from first grade two hours ago and it's not like I can't be home in under five minutes even with the weather. I told the Doctor I'd stay around the ministry in case something in the city needed attention."
Reno finished up with Heron and helped him stand up. "Now is that better?"
"Till the next time he screws his back up?" Astro snickered.
"Enough from the gallery Astro?" Reno said smirking. "Remember Heron, you don't have to try and be a big bad hero just to please your employer. If you can't lift it, tell them?"
"I promise." Heron replied as he pulled out his wallet. "I know you get paid by my account but take this…and don't say no."
Reno took the tip. Then I won't." He turned and put it in a nearby glass jar with "extra funding" written on it. "You have a good day Heron and don't risk anything in this weather?"
Astro jumped up on the exam table and sat kicking his feet. "You have anyone else waiting right now?"
"Nope." Reno replied. "Something bothering you?"
Astro moved his right arm around…."Crick….Crick…..Crick" "Hear that?"
Reno listened to the clicking sound coming from Astro's shoulder. "Sounds like the universal joint is grinding against the chassis socket." Reno reached over the table and pulled down an x-ray viewer. "Give me a second?...mmmmm…..yup. But it's not something troublesome enough to do a fix on yet. How's school?"
"We started advanced Trig and algebra and me and the guys are going to use "Captain" for our upcoming Science Fair project. We're doing pollution studies." Astro laid back on the table and played with his toes.
"You're not getting bored by school are you?" Reno asked.
"Oh no way." Astro replied smiling. "It's never the same every day and Miss Myoki makes it so fun that you can't be bored."
Reno snickered. "Are you saying that because you got a crush on her?"
"What?!" Astro snapped. "Absolutely not! Where did you hear that?!"
"Oh…..from Kenichi." Reno pressed. "You gave her how many apples and little gifts last month?"
"Oh….Ken's always saying things. He likes to joke a lot you know?" Astro tried to defend himself.
"My my…" Reno smiled. "You're getting better at trying to fib…Astro?"
The boy bot sat up on the table. "I…..I am merely being nice to my favorite teacher." He said with his head turned aside.
Reno leaned his face in. "She has very cute kissing lips?"
"Uh huh….yes she does." Astro replied then he jumped. "Reno! Ugh…..You tricked me!"
"Hah!" Reno snapped. "You are in love with her!"
Astro crossed his arms. "Big deal! Why can't I have a crush like the other students?"
"I wasn't saying anything negative against it, trust me." Reno replied. "You know you never talk about any girls at all?"
Astro put his arms out. "Ok….like where's all of them? Epsilon is a girl and my sister is a girl and Nora is an old maid…"
Reno giggled. "Tell Nora that one."
"Well look around…there's more "boy" robots than "girls". You'd think humans would make the production a little more equal and not reserve female voices and AI for things like coffee makers, cars, phones, planes and GPS direction boxes? I got into a "convo" with a GPS box; she sounded like Sherley Temple I think?"
"Oh?" Reno replied. "Where was she?"
"On our school bus." Astro replied. "I got a good conversation going and before I knew it? I was in the bus company parking lot at 9pm kissing the screen with a security guard giving me looks like I was insane. What an embarrassment!"
Reno was laughing his butt off. "Cut it out! It's not funny! The guard took me home and told Doctor O'Shay I was trying to molest the bus!"
Reno fell on his back crying with laughter! "Oh…..you suck!" Astro snapped.
"Sigh…..that's just too funny." Reno replied. When he saw Astro frowning, he got up from the floor and wrapped an arm around Astro's shoulder. "Oh….I'm sorry…I know it's hard trying to connect with a real girl bot. Besides Miss Mayoki? Are there actually any girls at school you like?"
Astro looked at Reno, snorted and slipped off the table. "That just made it feel worse."
"Why?" Reno asked as he followed Astro into the kitchen.
"Uh…..I'm a robot? How can I have a relationship with a human?" Astro asked with a smirk. "I'm permanently stuck in pre-puberty with a body as "slick" as an attack submarine."
"Yeah…." Reno replied. "That does pose a problem."
Astro got a can of oil and walked over to Reno's picture window to look at the snow. "I mean…am I a "boy" or a "what"?"
"That's a silly question Astro. Of course you're a boy." Reno flopped onto his couch. "Didn't we go through this same conversation before?"
"Not the part I'm thinking about." Astro said as he sat down. "Reno? I want real hair. I want…uh…..you know….I want to know for sure that I'm an honest boy and not a bunch of parts."
Reno shook his head. "And there lies the problem. You know I would do a mod for you in a heart beat Astro….but I can't."
Astro sighed. "But I'm not happy Reno…haven't I done more than enough to earn something?"
Reno sighed and wrapped an arm around Astro's shoulders. "It's not against you Astro, there's a reason why I can't radically alter your body to look more human."
"But….you did it when I was sent to Bazerkhan that one time. Remember? I was so happy to have a head full of hair, finger nails…..those "giggles" adaptations? And Nicky was the only girl robot my size and my "age" and she turned out to be a nuclear weapon."
"And it was for that time only." Reno replied. "I can't believe you don't know anything about the United Nations weapons conventions…especially when they pertain to you."
Astro snorted. "I haven't got the time to read the whole encyclopedia and that's what the UN is…a ridiculous encyclopedia of over-inflated rules and pieces of old paper."
Reno tapped Astro on the head. "Bring up the UN Weapons Conventions on the network. Look for Section Fourteen, Paragraph ten and tell me what it reads?"
Astro brought up the huge document off the internet through his computer brain and displayed it in the glass of his two eyes much like the Heads up Display a fighter pilot might see…
"Since there is always the opportunity for abuse to occur, the United Nations weapons conventions deem it essential that Mechanical Sentient Intelligences must retain visible features which distinguish them from humanity. Oh what the heck….so they can't just say robot?...
(MSI) shall not be designed to appear or have the close physical characters of humans…"
Astro slouched back against the couch…."Gee, if I have a dick; I'm dangerous."
"Astro?" Reno moaned. "It has a logical point. I mean look at Nicky, she was so hard to tell from a robot or a human; even you got fooled for a while didn't you? Imagine if she'd been at a mall or a sports event or a school?"
"I'm not a nuclear bomb." Astro snorted.
"But you are a weapon." Reno replied. "And the convention says I can't modify a weapon to have human features."
"Oh whatever." Astro snorted. "Do you have a blanket? I wanna catch a nap."
Reno got up and came back with a blanket and pillow. "Here….Astro? You know I would do it in a heartbeat for you but I know you'd never let anyone drag me off to a jail too."
Astro rolled over in the couch and groaned. "Yeah…I don't blame you Reno."
Two hours later….
Reno was busy writing his daily work report to Doctor O'Shay when he felt Astro drape his arms over his shoulders in a hug…
"Hi sleepy head." Reno said as he reached up to rub Astro's head. "You still upset?"
"A little bit." Astro sighed…"But you're right. Can't make any exceptions or soon every robot's going to be screaming. I see it's getting worse outside?"
"Yeah…" Reno replied. "Doc and most of the staff went home already. Did you call Zoran?"
"She's fine. Enjoying the snow and driving Nora crazy like always. I think I'll go home in an hour just to see what's going on then I'll come back. You don't mind having me stay around do you?"
"That's a funny question to ask?" Reno replied. "Of course not." Reno snatched Astro by the head and "noogied" him…"You're my best-us-buddy!"
"Ok! Ok! Cut it out!" Astro yelped then he lit off his leg rockets and zipped back to a hover. One of the legs occasionally sputtered which caught Reno's ear…
"Oh oh…..what's wrong with the left leg?" He asked as he gestured Astro down. "How long has that been going on?"
"I dunno." Astro replied. "I haven't flown much in two weeks and I don't think it's been going on before that."
"Back up on the table." Reno said pointing. "Lay on your stomach and let's point your legs away from anything flammable."
Reno turned the table around as Astro lay on his stomach resting his chin in his hands. "So how's Abby and when is the wedding?"
"She's fine and there's no wedding." Reno replied. "Last time I checked? I'm 13 years old."
Astro smiled. "But….you are going to marry her right? Eventually?"
Reno smirked. "Astro? I have the rest of High School to do and a four year college for advanced robotics. I'd like to finish that."
"But if you marry Abby, you'd be a Prince or a Regent or a Consort in a big house full of servants and you wouldn't have to do anything…" Astro said smiling.
"And I would be bored off my skull." Reno snorted. "I hope Abby doesn't expect that of me." Reno patted Astro on the back. "Light off."
Astro lit his rocket legs off and Reno watched the left leg sputter and spit, cutting the afterburner flame off. "You haven't done any unauthorized flying have you? Any joy flying silliness?"
"Uh uh…." Astro replied. "I promise I haven't."
Reno watched a little more…"Ok, cut em off. It's obvious I can't let you go out with the left one acting like this. Let me get a replacement "baby 404" and put it on."
"But seriously Reno…You are planning to marry her aren't you?" Astro asked.
Reno disconnected the lower part of Astro's left leg and set the engine on his work desk. "That's for me to decide." Reno replied. "But you're hoping I will huh?"
"Just want to see you happy." Astro said smiling. "She's not a girl you should pass up."
Reno walked over to a cabinet but stopped at his stereo to turn on the radio…
"Work and work and work and work. Work and work and work and work. Work and work and work and work you gotta work you gotta work…"
Astro swayed his body with the music. "This has got to be Dale Doorman's station. Go for it! Go or it! You gotta Go for it!"
"Let the singers sing the song?" Reno begged. "You are one tone deaf robot."
"I think I sing great." Astro snorted as he rolled onto his back and pulled up the i of his left leg. "I pulled up the latest weather report off the net? Talk about white-out….they're now forecasting 24 inches!"
Reno came back with a new baby jet engine and married it up with Astro's upper leg. "24 inches? I should call the Robot Circus in Yokohama and see if my family's ok."
"I'm sure they're staying in a better place right now than the trailers." Astro said as he sat up and moved his leg about. "Wanna call em? I can be a phone?"
Reno smiled. "Go ahead."
Astro thought for a moment with his finger raised…"Ok, I got Jelly Bean on the other end."
Reno leaned against the service table. "Hey Jellybean? It's Reno."
"Hey!" Jellybean answered. "Hey everyone! Reno's on the phone!"
The robots in the circus yelled hi through Astro's ears. "Hey Reno? Are you watching the snow?" Jellybean asked.
"That's why I called you guys. I wanted to know if you're all staying in the trailers."
"You're kidding right?" The Showmaster asked. "You know us better than that. We're all shut up at the Grand Yamato Hotel downtown. We're going to give three performances tonight in the open air lobby for the guest who are shut in with us."
Reno giggled. "You all manage to find a way to work. It's snowing, why don't you sit back and relax?"
"And I suppose you're not working?" Jellybean asked. "Astro says you're swamped."
"Astro's fibbing." Reno snickered. "We're shut in just like you guys. The weather report predicts 24 inches or more by the end of the night." Reno looked at Astro. "Go ahead and lay down and light off."
Astro laid on his stomach and lit off his rockets. Both engines acted normally and Reno tapped Astro to shut the engines off. "So I hope you all will come over to Metro City soon once things are cleaned up so we can all go out for dinner."
"We look forward to it." The ringmaster said. "You just stay inside. We know you like adventures Reno and we don't want you taking any risks."
"That's impossible." Reno replied. "You guys taught me risk. But I promise I won't leave just to make you guys happy. Love you all."
"We love you…..Son." The Ringmaster said before they hung up.
Reno gestured Astro off the table. "Now…skip around so I can make sure I got that hooked up right."
Astro smirked. "Skip?"
"I said…..skip." Reno commanded. He watched Astro skip around the apartment and was laughing by the time he stopped. "Giggles…..you look so gay."
"Jerk!" Astro gave Reno a light shove.
"Your leg's good to go." Reno said smiling. "You want some hot coca?"
"That's cool." Astro replied as he sat on the couch. "Hey? Let's plan a vacation together, you and me. We don't spend enough time together…unless you think I'm being annoying?"
Reno stood in the kitchen making the coca. "Never annoying. Where would we go?"
Astro laid back…"Someplace nice…There's the South Pacific, Hawaii, Hey….Thailand!"
Reno passed Astro his coco. "Thailand?"
"Yeah! They have this big Tiger preserve there and a humongous water park outside Pattiya Beach that is so killer. You'd enjoy yourself." Astro said as he took a sip. "Mmmm…Hershey is so sweet."
"Hmmm….I always wanted to see Bangkok. That's a good idea." Reno lifted his cup as Astro laid his head down in his lap. "Don't get too comfortable."
"Stop working." Astro snorted. "That's an order."
"Yes Sir boss!" Reno replied smiling. "Any preferences for dinner or are you going to go with oil?"
"What are you willing to cook?" Astro asked. Suddenly a beeping tone went off in his head. "Oops…spoke too soon." Astro got up off the couch. "Astro here?"
"Astro! This is Sargent Deutadi! We have a Metro Bus here that slipped off the on-ramp to the inter-urban causeway and is in a precarious teeter!"
"I'm on my way!" Astro replied as he ran to the foyer and started grabbing his clothes.
"Hey? What are you doing?" Reno snapped.
"I'm getting dressed!" Astro replied.
"You don't need clothes you silly bot! Get going!" Reno hurried.
"But I'll catch a cold?" Astro said smirking.
Reno ran up and pushed Astro towards the picture window. "Just go already wise ass!"
"Sheesh! You sure show some great concern!" Astro snorted as he climbed onto the window sill and took off.
An Hour later….
Astro returned…..a muddy mess. He slipped through the window and stood covered in black tar looking dirt and huffed…."Stupid bus."
"What happened?" Reno asked as he walked up. "Ugh! You stink!"
"Gasp…..the dumb bus rolled on me and pushed me into the river!" Astro snorted as Reno brought over a towel. "You didn't call me the whole time."
"I didn't want to bother you." Astro replied as he rubbed his face.
"You get pinned under a bus in a river and you think that was a bother?" Reno worried.
"Well I'm not gonna drown." Astro sighed. "I need to take a shower."
Reno followed Astro to the bathroom. "Are you alright? Any injuries?"
"Only my pride." Astro huffed. "It's a disaster out there. I can't believe anyone would still be messing around in weather like this? It's crazy!"
Reno stopped short of the bathroom and waited for Astro to wash himself off. "The Doctor called? Zoran's worried you're going to do something too dangerous."
"Then I better not tell her I got plowed by a stupid bus huh?" Astro said as he came out. "So about dinner?"
"I'm going to make a nice stuffed turkey ring." Reno replied.
"Oh cool!" Astro said smiling. "I like those."
Reno thought for a moment. "Hey?...How about Atlas? Think you can coax him here for dinner?"
"Honestly?" Astro replied. "Atlas isn't going to leave his hide-a-way in this weather, certainly not for a turkey ring or to be coop'd up with people who annoy him."
"Actually he might, given I did so much for him in saving his life." Reno said as he walked to the kitchen. "It would be a good opportunity for me to do a status check and program update on him too."
Astro flopped onto the couch and hugged a pillow while flipping on the television. "I'm telling you he probably won't come in this weather."
Reno gestured. "You're not calling him."
Astro sighed and switched on his internal radio…"Atlas? You around?"
The red boy bot's gruffy voice replied. "Where else could I be? It's crazy out there."
"Well….Reno wants to invite you over to his place to ride this out? It's better to be with others than be stuck alone," Astro was looking at Reno as he walked up to the couch.
"Get your butt over here Atlas." Reno snorted. "You probably need a cleaning."
"I don't take orders from humans." Atlas snorted back. "And why should I leave here? I'm not in any danger, it's comfortable and I don't have to put up with Astro's sappy cuteness."
Astro pursed his lips. "At least I'm not a terrorist."
"What did you call me?" Atlas snapped.
"I called you a dumb, stuck up, introverted, robot terrorist…..dork." Astro smiled as Atlas yelped back.
"When I get there, Reno had better hope he gets his apartment clear enough because I am going to bash that sappy cute, weak, human hugging little dirt bag of a human pet robot all over the place!"
The radio clicked off.
"Oh great!" Reno snapped. "You got him super pissed off!"
Astro jumped off the couch. "Well he's coming over right?"
"You had to insult him?" Reno replied as he walked to the picture window and prepared to drop the steel blast shutters…not that they'd ever stop an angry robot like Atlas.
"You're over-reacting Reno." Astro said as he started walking around the apartment looking for vulnerable things to move.
"If I'm over-reacting then why are you moving stuff around?" Reno snorted.
"I'm cleaning the place up." Astro replied. "You live in such a pig sty."
"I might just let Atlas kill you." Reno huffed. "Smart ass."
Just then, a knocking on the glass caught Reno's attention and there stood Atlas on the window sill holding a green duffle bag in his hands. "Let me in! It's cold!"
Reno took a deep breath and slid the window open to let Atlas hop inside. "Sheesh, it's mad out there! The wind's gotta be at least 30 knots. I couldn't see five inches in front of my face…"
Atlas turned to Astro and shoved him. "Pussy."
Astro pushed back. "I'll show you pussy…."
Reno jumped between the boy bots, which was hazardous as they went into a Mexican standoff, and held them apart. "My apartment you two…do you mind?"
"I'm only here because I like Reno." Atlas snorted. "You're annoying."
"I invited you because I care about you." Astro replied. "Don't know why though… you're a trouble making punk."
Atlas chuckled. "You look better when you're a little pissed off."
Astro pointed to the television. "Wanna play Nintendo while Reno fixes dinner?"
"Yeah…." Atlas replied. Though they were both powerful robots packed with deadly weaponry, both Atlas and Astro were still programmed with the character and traits of "tweeners" and soon the animosity of two different characters who led two competing visions of how robots should treat humans was lost in giggling, snorting, childish rivalry…
"Here Atlas." Reno said as he placed a cup down on the coffee table. "Some nice hot linseed oil with hydro-lube for your joints."
"Thanks." Atlas replied. "When are you getting married?"
"Astro?" Reno huffed. "Did you tell him?"
"Well yeah." Astro replied smiling. "He's living in denial." He said to Atlas.
"She's a Princess, she's so smoking hot and you're bags are not packed?" Atlas snickered. "Damn your manhood is messed up."
"Enough from the peanut gallery." Reno snorted. "You both keep up and I'll bounce you into the snow. What goes on between me and Abby is not your business."
Atlas leaned into Astro and snickered. "Not enough Viagra."
Astro giggled back. "He kisses his pillow at night."
"I swear I will bounce both of your butts out of this apartment if you don't shut up?" Reno warned.
"Oh come on Reno." Atlas said as he followed Reno into the kitchen. "We just think you should be happy."
"I thought you hated humans?" Reno said as he pulled out the ingredients he needed.
"Not all of em." Atlas replied. "Some don't need to be "calibrated" as much." Atlas said as he pointed in Reno's chest. "Anyway…if you believe it…I'm occupied with a girl of my own."
Reno smirked. "You? A girl actually likes you?"
"Huh?" Astro reacted a little shocked. "You have a girl friend?"
"Mmmm…." Atlas replied nodding. "Name's Livian, she's a photographer and she's built like a "tweeny". And she's just as bull headed as me…"
Atlas pointed to his left eye. "Remember when I came over saying a piece of concrete hit my eye? She punched me out."
"You let a girl, punch you?" Astro huffed.
"I let your sister kick my ass when I tried to kidnap her didn't I?" Atlas snickered. "Yeah… I broke Livian's photo drone and she hauled off and nailed me….called me a little bitch…that's when I got the "love arrow" in my butt, I could not stay away."
Astro turned around, kicked something across the floor, sat on the couch and pouted.
"Did I break a wire or something?" Atlas asked.
"Kind of." Reno replied. "Astro's upset because he can't find a girl friend. You know how things are right now with sentient robotics? They build so few girl-bots that would fit him."
Atlas walked over to the couch. "Hey….I'm sorry if I got you upset."
"A jerk like you can get a girlfriend." Astro snorted.
"Hey! I'm right here!" Atlas snapped. "Don't take it out on me ok? Why don't you ask Doctor O'Shay to build you one?"
"Because that would make it all weird." Astro replied. "It would be like….like she's my sister I mean Doctor O'Shay built Zoran so…..it would be all strange and creepy."
Atlas smirked. "The way you see us robots is weird and strange. What do you want? Oh I know…you want a classic human like relationship where she's got parents and you get chased out of the house by her father because he caught you doing "nookies" or kinda the prom night thing where you ask her out on a date."
"Now you're talking stupid." Astro snorted.
"I think your real problem is that you're so busy tending after humans that you neglect yourself." Atlas huffed. "Where's the Astro time so Astro can be Astro and not the human's little dish licker?"
Reno replied from the kitchen. "He is right you know. You are kind of introverted."
Atlas poked Astro in the head. "You need to step out of the cute shell every so often and have a life."
"Cut it out!" Astro snapped as he batted Atlas off the head. Soon the two of them were going at it on the floor until Atlas had Astro "pretzel'd" in a wrestling lock. "ARGH! Atlas you creep!"
"Prick is more like it." Atlas snorted. "Now repeat after me? I Astro will vow to become more myself and less dependent on humans. You know your wittle heart wants to say it?"
"Atlas? Let him go?" Reno asked. "You're not helping the problem."
Atlas let Astro go and stood with his arms crossed. "Admit it…you really do need to become more self-determining. Like not choosing to go on every dog chase old blimp nose sends you on. That Sahara excursion for instance bordered on abuse."
"No it did not!" Astro snorted. "I chose to be there."
"You chose to wear yourself thin." Atlas snorted back. "You're circuits would have been liquid if I didn't go over there and yanked you home. You worked yourself near to failure and for what? So the Ministry of Science could bilk the work for credit? Excuse me for being real "goody boots" but that was absolute bull shit."
"Can you say anything without a swear gun in them?" Astro asked.
"Stop trying to divert the issue." The red boy bot snapped back. "If you keep butting into places where humans should do the work, they'll soon become lazy good for nothing lumps of fat, you can't keep trying to solve every human problem for them."
Just then the call beeper went off in Astro's head again…"Shoot….Astro here?"
"Astro! We have a bad fire at the Kogato Chemical storage building and we have to evacuate as much of the material as we can!"
Atlas reacted. "Is that Chief Togusa of the Fire Department?"
"Yeah?" Astro replied as he headed for the window.
"I'm going." Atlas snapped.
"Wow…gonna help these lazy humans huh?" Astro snorted.
"Firemen are different, they're not a dime a dozen just shut up and let's go!"
Two hours later….
Astro toppled back into the apartment with Atlas on his back…"RENO! HELP ME!"
Reno ran up to pull Atlas off Astro's back. "My God he's a mess, what happened?"
The fire reached some barrels of Nampa and he chucked the firemen out before it all exploded….Atlas? Atlas? Reno, he's not responding…"
"Get him on the table and let me hook him up. Damn….he took a nasty high velocity shot to the brain bucket, the casing's dented in."
Astro looked on horrified. "Is he…..don't tell me he's gonna die!"
"His central processor's well defended Astro but in terms of his body? I dunno, he's pretty messed up. At least the Kevlar casing did its work. Reno said as he plugged Atlas into his lap top and ran a diagnostic check. "I'm gonna try a complete system re-set…"
"Don't let him die Reno….please?" Astro pleaded.
"Keep your head screwed on Astro, I don't lose robots….at least the one's who like me anyway."
Three hours later…
7pm
Atlas's eyes opened and he looked down his chest to see Astro clinging to him like a used dryer sheet…"Do you mind?" He asked.
Astro hugged him as he tried to sit up. "I thought we'd lost you! You had to be hard re-set four times!"
"Cripes! Will you stop balling over me?! Sheesh you're an embarrassment!" Atlas looked at himself and snorted. "Damn….I'm all messed up."
"You're lucky you weren't blown apart." Reno snorted. "Looks like you took a header into a steel beam or something."
Atlas felt his head. "Eeesh….what a dent. At least my hair…..ugh…fuck! My hair's all singed?! Damn it!"
Astro sighed…"You scare us to death and you're worried about your hair? You amazing Atlas, really."
"What about the firemen? Did I get them all out?" Atlas asked with worry.
"As far as we heard on the news? All of them were safe." Reno said as he pushed Atlas back onto his back. "Now stop fusing over your yellow locks and let me finish working on you?"
Atlas looked at Astro and sighed. "You pulled me out of there?"
"I'm always pulling you out of places." Astro replied. "I didn't ask you to come with me you know? You came to help humans remember?"
"I told you they're firemen which are far different than your typical humans. At least they have the pure form of altruism most humans only lie about." Atlas said.
Astro sighed…"I think you should have gotten a bigger dent in your silly head." He popped Atlas in the nose and walked off mumbling to himself.
"Wow…he sure pissed a load of oil in his shorts." Atlas snorted. "He just refuses to understand…I'd rather live with a hundred fire fighters before having to live every day with any humans."
"Just for that? You can sit and nurse yourself." Reno snapped as he threw a cloth over Atlas's eyes and walked out.
"Hey!" Atlas yelped as he sat up. "Reno?! Oh come on! Look…..I'm sorry ok?"
An hour later….
"This is very good." Atlas said as he took a bite of the slice of Turkey ring while Reno worked on his torn up synthetic skin.
"Are you saying that to suck up to me?" Reno asked.
"No." Atlas replied. "Look….I'm sorry I got you upset. It's difficult for me to give credit to humans…I'm not comfortable at all."
Atlas looked at the window. "It is really pouring snow right now….must be over a foot. Where's Astro?"
"Went home to check on his sister and the Doctor. I fixed up the fold out couch for your bed."
Atlas sighed. "You didn't have to do that. I thought I was being an ass?"
"Well you're you. If I didn't offer, Astro would get upset." Reno said as he applied a patch on Atlas's back. "It'll take the night for this to set so don't roll around too much in your sleep."
Atlas looked at Reno, thought for a moment, and then looked at him again…"I…..was abused. That's why I have such a hate for humans."
Reno sat at his work desk. "Doesn't surprise me at all. Have you told Astro?"
"I don't intend to." Atlas said as he sat on the floor. "I know what he'll do if he finds out. Skunk's not someone you blindly go after and knowing Astro? He'll be super pissed. I once got so beaten up with a steel pipe that my eyes were broken. One mistake and Skunk would go into a rage. If I messed up on a job? I got beaten. If I didn't do something right? I got beaten. If I talked back? I got beaten. I…well at that time I didn't know I could fight back; you have too listen to the human who looked over you so I…took it. I spent most of my time locked up in a basement."
Reno patted Atlas on the shoulder. "I understand…I won't tell him. But are we really all so bad? After such a time away from Atlas, I would think you'd have changed a little."
Atlas sighed. "You know better yourself. You've seen human potential for ugliness even from the nicest of humans or did you forget the time the police shot at me for just standing on a street watching the firefighters work?"
"Well back about five years ago you weren't very popular remember? The police had a warrant on you…mister meaner offense but still…You were quite…..a little dickhead."
Atlas snorted. "So long as humans have the potential to go from nice to downright evil, I'll never be completely comfortable. As far as the robot rights act goes? I know we'll get screwed the moment we turn our backs and give humans our complete trust. No damn thanks, I'll keep my Sinicism's thank you."
Astro came through the apartment door. "Oh my God is he bitching again?" He said as he removed his winter clothes. "At least give us a break for a night will you?"
"And he's the other reason I won't blindly trust humans." Atlas snorted. "How's your sister?"
"She's ok…." Astro replied. "But travel around town is hopeless. Landed in snow up to my waist! It's like 25 inches out there!"
Reno passed Astro a piece of his turkey ring. "Here…dinner."
"Thanks!" Astro replied as he sat down. "There's nothing moving out there right now except kids in the neighborhoods."
"Hope my place is going to be alright?" Atlas worried. "The factory is a flat roof and given how old it is? All this snow just might make it collapse."
"If that happens? You're welcome to stay with us." Astro said. "Really…we have room."
"I would not have the patience." Atlas replied. "But…I do respect your offer though."
Reno went over to his Radio. "Let's see what Dale says about the weather?"
"Click."…."Yup my friends this is the worse winter storm seen in Japan in a long time; we're talking historic…..18 inches in Tokyo….18 in Yokohama….18 in Atsugi…..Metro City reporting 19 and climbing. If you DON'T Have to be outside? Don't go. Don't become a problem to the emergency services if you can help it. This is a dangerous snow storm by far; not a fit time for humans or bots. Current weather reports say it will continue to snow heavily until 5 am and then it will start to taper off…."
Reno pursed his lips. "I'm surprised you're not huffing in an out every five seconds Astro."
"I'm sure people aren't going to be this stupid." Astro said with his hands on his hips. "Really. By now everyone's staying where they're at."
Atlas snorted. "Please don't be that gullible? There's always one idiot, it's a human trait."
"It can be a robot one too." Reno snickered. "Look, it's about 9pm and you two should turn in and get rest while you can."
Astro gestured to Atlas. "You wanna watch TV on the couch bed?"
"I guess." Atlas replied shrugging. "Unless you want to go out in the snow?"
Astro looked at the window. "I…think we should save the energy."
10pm…
Astro finally had to say it…."You brought Pookie?"
Atlas had an arm wrapped around the teddy bear and snorted. "If you so much as peep about him to anyone? I'll bash you silly wompers."
"Wow…silly wompers must be like total destruction times a hundred huh?" Astro said as he reached into a bowl of popcorn. "I didn't know you liked anime."
"I didn't know you liked Ghost in the Shell?" Atlas replied. "I took you for the more "chibi" cute sort of stuff."
Astro snickered. "Mutako's hot."
"Wow…you have a dirty mind?" Atlas huffed. "I thought Cocoro was supposed to make you "prim, proper and docile.". "
"I'm not an introverted weakling as you thought." Astro replied. "I'm just upset there's so few girl bots around and you happened to find one that fit your personality. And Livian Asano? The famous robot photographer of all girl bots….I never thought you'd like her."
Atlas sat up. "There's much we don't know about each other…like how you could forgive Tenma for treating you like a piece of trash. Didn't he beat you a lot? Wasn't he abusive? How can you let him get away with all that?"
Astro scratched his head. "Oh yeah….a broom is really dangerous. The worst thing he used was a shock ring but that's why Cocoro and the Omega Factor are so radically different programs. I can't go as far emotionally as you can with the Omega, at some point the logic functions take over and I'm forced to think and evaluate things where you just feel the full effect of whatever emotions are coming over you at the moment."
Atlas threw a hand…"Here you go…getting all complicated."
"It's not that hard to understand. There's a big difference between how Skunk treated you and how Doctor Tenma treated me and how we each processed the problem. Doctor Tenma was suffering from the loss of his only child and he tried to replace him with me. Of course it didn't go well when he realized I'd never replace Tobio so he lashed out. You on the other hand were attached to a ruthless, avaricious, uncaring criminal and since the Omega Factor doesn't brake your emotions, you lashed out. You know I give Skunk no quarter when he pulls his stupid tricks?"
Atlas flopped back. "And you can't tell me there's not even one time when you look at the humans and just go…."What the hell is wrong with you people? I'm lucky to have hair at all when I see some of the seriously stupid things they do…drives me crazy."
Astro chuckled…."Well they're humans, I mean come on Atlas have some pity for them?"
Atlas looked over at Astro. "Did I just hear you right?"
"Shocking huh?" Astro said smiling. "Trust me…I have kicked dents in plenty of light poles out of frustration. How many times have humans lost their houses for ridiculously preventable mistakes?"
"Ugh…..smoking in bed." Atlas replied.
"Leaving lit cigars where the cat knocks em onto the carpet?" Astro said frowning.
"Plastic soap dispenser next to a hot plate? Oh come on!" Atlas snapped.
"Running red lights." Astro said smirking.
"Nuclear weapons." Atlas huffed.
"Barney the Dinosaur? What…the…hell?" Astro said with a strange face.
Atlas shook his head. "If we weren't here? Man would blow up the world."
"Uh huh." Astro agreed. "We just have different ways of dealing with human faults but we're both actually closer than you thought." He said smiling…."Your way just…..well it's kinda harsh."
"And you're way to tenderfoot and naïve." Atlas snorted back. "You're just an idealist with a handicap of being a pussy."
Astro suddenly jumped up, snatched Atlas by his wrists and sat on his chest while pinning him to the bed…."This…..pussy….has always been able to best you."
Atlas snorted back…"Only because I'm generous."
Astro let go and sat up crossing his arms…"No….because you needed a friend who'd be persistent enough not to give up on you. I may be a wishy washy human hugging pussy but you have to give me some credit for being stubborn?"
"Well…I guess you deserve some credit." Atlas replied. He slowly smiled…"I do owe you a lot…I owe Reno a lot….for saving my life. Why you did it when I was so cruel to you still escapes me. I'll be honest, if we were reversed? I probably would have scavenged you for parts."
Astro snorted. "Gee…feel the love."
"Well what do you want?" Atlas huffed. "I have to be honest."
Astro looked to the side. "Wonder how you feel now?"
The hug caught him by surprise. Atlas sat up and wrapped his arms around Astro which made Astro smirk at him. "You know….this kinda destroys your tough guy image?"
"Shut up." Atlas replied. "You only get one freebee so enjoy it."
Astro chuckled. "It's like eleven? We should get some rest." Astro turned off the television and they settled in as the snow continued to pour down outside.
1:30am
"Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!"
"Ugh!..." Astro stirred awake. "Mmph….yeah?..."
"Astro! Sargent Deutadi, we have a big fire down here at the Maritomo Shipping Company!"
Astro rolled off the couch bed and listened as Deutadi gave him the details. "What the hell?" Atlas asked sleepishly.
"I got it. Go back to bed." Astro said as he grabbed his boots and started throwing his clothes together.
"What is it?" Atlas asked again.
"It's a fire down at the harbor…a big ship loaded with Ammonium Nitrate." Astro was still trying to put his clothes on when Atlas leaped from the bed. "What the hell are you doing? Don't bother with stupid clothes!"
"You're not going, I got this." Astro snapped.
"Shut your pussy mouth up, get your boots and let's go." Atlas said with a scowl. "A ship full of explosive stuff and you're trying to put winter clothes on, sheesh the humans have so pussy-fied you."
Atlas ran to the window. "Will you hurry up!"
Astro struggled into his moon boots and ran to the window. "I don't need your help Atlas!"
"Well I'm going so stop being a whiny little dufus." Atlas snapped as he hit his rocket legs and took off. "Damn! It's still coming down? I can't see anything. Good thing we have radar huh?"
Astro came flying up next to Atlas. "You call me a dufus or a pussy again and we're gonna fight."
"Will you grow some skin?" Atlas replied. "Right now we have more urgent things to worry about, like the harbor going up like a super nova or don't you remember the great Grand Camp fire of 1945?"
Astro quickly searched his network for history and returned with a "Oh…..shit."
"Wow!" Atlas snickered. "If you swore then the urgency hit you like a cannon ball didn't it?"
"I didn't know it could be that destructive." Astro replied.
"You really need to get out more." Atlas snorted as they flew on. Soon they could see the yellow glow of fire through the heavy snow fall. "Oh man that's bad." Atlas huffed.
"Bad enough you have to try and fight it in weather like this!" Astro yelped. When the boys broke through the thick snow and fog obscuring the scene they could see the cargo ship listing badly away from the dock below as firemen poured gallons of water upon the ever growing conflagration that covered the ship from bow to stern!"
"It's gonna roll over!" Atlas snapped as they dove for the pier and saw Sargent Deutadi's police car among the fire equipment. The two boys landed to a sliding stop and ran up to the cruiser. "STOP POURING WATER ON IT!" Atlas screamed.
"I didn't expect Astro to drag you along." Deutadi snorted.
"Who cares!" Atlas snapped. "Get the fireman back, stop shooting water on the ship or the whole harbor's going to go like Hiroshima!"
Atlas grabbed Astro by the arm. "We can't save the ship, we gotta drag it out of port and sink it now!"
Astro looked up. "I can cut the anchors off, pull the chains out and weld them to the bow?"
"Well? Like yesterday? Chop chop?!" Atlas snorted and spun Astro around. "GO! Sheesh you move like a snail!"
"Stop pushing me!" Astro snapped back before he took off and started working on the anchor chains.
"Where's the fertilizer?" Atlas asked Deutadi.
"First and second holds. The fire melted the fuel oil lines in the engine room and all we could do was try to keep it contained but we're losing ground. My guess is we have about ten minutes before the holds hit the cook off threshold."
Astro cut the anchors off the ship's chains and jumped onto the deck to pull the chains out of the anchor locker and weld them to the steel deck with his laser fingers…"I'm done!"
Atlas flew up to the bow and snorted. "You are slow as a snail."
Astro pushed a chain into Atlas's chest. "Shut up and start pulling!"
Taking hold of their chains, Astro and Atlas lit off their leg rockets and began to pull the ship away from the dock…
"Oh wow…." Astro pretended to cry…"You're being a hero Atlas…I'm so touched."
"If you don't shut up, so help me I'm going to beat the snot out of you with this burning boat!" Atlas snapped. "Gnah! You'd think us having a million horse power we'd make this easier?!"
"I'm getting close to the red line on my engine temperatures." Astro worried. "We're doing about twenty knots with a half water filled, listing, burning ship on our ass!"
"Stop complaining!" Atlas yelped. "From the look of it we may have about seven minutes to clear the harbor mouth….get the lead out!"
Astro looked back to see his engines burning almost white hot then looked down to see the rock walls at both ends of the harbor mouth…"We cleared the harbor!"
"Not yet! Another minute and we'll be at the right spot where we can deep six this wreck!" Atlas turned around and all bug hugged the chain as he wrapped his legs around it and kept up his engines…"Argh! I must be a fat ass or something because this is a lot of dead weight!"
"You said it, I didn't!" Astro snapped back.
After a minute of hard tugging. The boys dropped the chains and flew around the burning ship. "We have to cut the hull open and sink it fast! You take the port side, I'll take starboard and we'll cut a chunk out!" Atlas yelled.
Astro looked back puzzled. "What's starboard?"
"Please tell me you're joking?" Atlas asked.
"Oh…right side….sorry." Astro replied.
"And you're a robot connected to the network? Ugh, you've been so poisoned." Atlas flew under the water with Astro on the other side and using their finger lasers they sliced a huge chunk out of the ship and just in time. As they flew back up into the air the rapidly sinking ship exploded as the storage holds finally cooked off…
"KAAAAABLAMMMMM!"
Astro shielded himself as bits of steel bounced off his body…"Wow! I didn't think it was that powerful!"
"The bad news is we'll never get an investigation into how the fire started." Atlas snorted. "Storing highly flammable materials on a ship while it's still in port is the height of human stupidity. Now do you think I'm a bad guy?"
"I never thought you were bad." Astro replied. "Just off calibration." He looked around to see that the snow fall had decreased. "I think the storm is winding down now."
"Yeah…" Atlas replied. "It's like 3am, do you think Reno will let us sleep in?"
"Of course." Astro replied. "But we're gonna need a bath when we get back, we both stink of salt water….and fuel oil."
Atlas frowned when he felt his hair. "Ugh…..first it gets singed and now it's got oil in it? See why I sometimes want to slap humans silly?"
Reno's Apartment…
Atlas sat with his eyes closed as Astro sat behind him on a higher stool rubbing his hands and fingers through the red boy bot's soft yellow hair. "Humans say that communal bathing offers an excellent opportunity for good communication. Did you know that?"
"All I know right now is you're babbling and pulling at my hair." Atlas snorted.
"Well how else am I gonna get all this oil out dufus?" Astro replied smiling as he worked. "You know? You and I seem so much like those Highlight characters Goofus and Gallant. Goofus is so much like you and Gallant tries to teach him good manors and kindness and how to be social with people and while Gofus can't stand Gallant? Their good friends."
Atlas snorted. "Maybe Goofus should give Gallant a good sock in the mouth for being annoying."
Astro moved around to the front of Atlas…"Go ahead?"
Atlas huffed. "Go ahead what?"
"Sock me in the mouth." Astro said smiling.
"Just shut up and finish torturing my hair so we can get some sleep?" Atlas huffed. He then smiled a little. "You know? You and me really did do good together tonight? I actually felt great about it for once."
Astro smiled widely. "Really?! That's awesome to hear coming from you Atlas. So much better than getting in trouble huh?"
"Don't get comfortable." Atlas warned. "I'm never going to slack off the humans…well… maybe a tiny bit?"
Astro lathered up a cloth and washed Atlas's back. "Do you think you could help me find a girl?"
"I think you can do that by yourself." Atlas replied. "You just need to get out and look. I can't believe that you do all these "walkie" trips all over Japan and you never once find a girl bot for yourself…You've done enough looking at the country why not start looking for Astro?"
"I want to keep to my principles." Astro replied. "Most people go to places which don't exactly….you know…."
Atlas looked back. "I met Livian just by running into her and her drone not in some bar. Stop making dumb excuses?"
"Well…." Astro said scratching his head. "You see?...I don't…..well I don't know how to act."
Atlas put his face into his hand. "Oh…..my….gawd…ugh…look, let's finish up, get some rest and I'll try to explain it in the morning ok? I'm tired, you're tired, can't teach on tired ok?"
"Ok…" Astro replied.
Morning…
Atlas awoke and brought his clock up over his eyes…."8am?..." he thought as he looked down to see Astro laying on his chest and hugging him…"Uh…hey?" He said as he popped Astro off the head. "Wake up?"
Astro stirred. "Huh? Huh? What?"
"Uh….do you mind?" Atlas snorted.
"Oh…..sorry." Astro replied as he sat up and rubbed his head. "What time is it?"
"Time to get up." Atlas said as he rolled out of the bed and walked up to the picture window. "Wow…The city got creamed."
Astro come up next to him. "Yeah….seriously creamed."
"Morning." Reno's voice sounded, getting both robots to turn and seen the teen waddle into his kitchen. "Did you guys sleep ok?"
"Oh yeah…" Atlas said as he sauntered up to the counter. "Just a little annoying trip to the harbor at 1am to drag a burning ship out to sea so it could blow up, no big deal at all."
"Actually we slept pretty good." Astro said. "Question is, what now?"
"Well I need to fly back to my place and see if it survived." Atlas said as he climbed onto a stool. "You should go home to your sister."
Reno leaned against the bar. "So….what do you guys want for breakfast?"
"Pancakes!: Chirped Astro. "With oil."
"Ugh?...you're sick." Atlas snapped. "Maple Syrup for me. Oil?...you're a freak."
"Ok." Reno replied. "Pancakes it is with both. I'm going to be busy today. Robots will be pouring in to get fixed so they can get back out. You two should see if the city needs the help."
Astro patted Atlas on the shoulder. "What about that? You and me as a team? The exposure would do you some good?"
"I'll work alone." Atlas snorted. "Your cheery nature will cause me to vomit."
"Oh cut it out?!" Astro snapped. "You're smirking!"
Atlas gave Astro a chest punch. "Ok….ok…..you and me together. But we're not helping anyone who can do it themselves, I don't want the humans becoming too dependent or they'll end up sorry fat asses."
"Giggles"….."You have quite a pot belly yourself." Astro said as he rubbed Atlas's stomach.
"Cut it out?" Atlas snorted. "By the way? I wonder what Daichi Tokugawa's up too? He certainly can't cause trouble with his stupid gang of bike punks in this weather can he?"
"Yeah, with hover bikes." Astro snorted.
"No." Reno warned. "No…you're NOT going to screw with Daichi Tokugawa do you both hear me?"
"What?" Atlas snickered. "Who said "we" would do anything? It's not "our" fault the jerk can't keep his shorts from riding up the crack of his butt….right Astro?"
"He totally has no control of his fruity loons. They have a mind of their own." Astro replied snorting.
"You will leave him alone you two." Reno warned again as he put plates of pancakes before the boys. "Don't…..mess with him."
Atlas and Astro looked at each other. "And if he decides to get stupid?"
"He won't if you two stay away from him….got it?" Reno snorted.
"Ok…" Astro replied frowning. "But if he goes around pulling his bully garbage on robots, I'm not gonna hold back."
"Hmm…first smart thing you've said in 24 hours." Atlas snickered.
"Shut up!" Astro smacked Atlas off the head.
"Make me!" Atlas snapped back! And they went at it, off the stools and around the floor in a wrestling, fist throwing mess…
"ARGH! WILL YOU TWO GROW UP!" Reno yelled!
End of part 1