We walked down the cost spending a few more hours watching the waves. Curie had never seemed so content and at the same time she never seemed so sad.
"Could you remove your shoes."
"Curie I don't think that is such a good idea. What if something jumps out and attacks us and we need to fight or run. I could hardly do it in bare feet. It would leave me at a pretty big disadvantage, don't you think."
"I am so sorry. I just thought...forget it." She floated there thinking about my words and she suddenly she looked so upset. I suddenly wanted to do anything that would bring back the joy to her voice. I started removing my boots and shocks. Screw the rads, I wanted to make her happy.
"What are you doing?" Her eyes grew wide at my sudden display. "You just explained to me the risks." I smiled up at her, in my bare footed glory. "Why…do this?"
"Because your my friend and you asked me to." I stood wiggling my toes.
"Friend," she whispered. "No one has ever called me friend. They treated me like a thing and you stand there calling me a friend instead of a thing."
"You are not thing...you are Curie," I smiled. "So why am I standing here in the sand?"
"Aw yes, how does it feel on your toes." I wiggled my feet and pushed them a bit deeper into the sand. It was hard to describe. How could you describe something like the way sand feels on your feet.
"It is dry, tickles and sorta grips your foot. It's soft and slips up and around your feet. It feels good, like a massage, when you walk on it. Sorry that is the best way I can describe it. I hope it is good enough." Then I sat down and started to put my socks and shoes on.
"No that was a wonderful description. I just wish I could feel it." I stood up with a hand full of sand, "Can you feel with your hands?"
She twisted from side to side. "It's not the same, I once read a story years ago about a couple walking on the beach. I couldn't quite understand why humans think it's so romantic, but the way you described it and seeing your feet in the sand I can sort of see such an abstract concept of romance."
"Oh you think this is romantic," I said jokingly. If robot could bush Curie did. Curie stood speechless for a moment. "I was just messing with you. Come on we need to set up camp. We still have a hike, I am not sleeping on the beach, Mirelurks will be all over us at night."
She floated close to me "You love Shaun very much, yes?"
"Of course he is my son, I would do anything to see him again.
"What does love feel like?"
"What?"
"Love, what does it feel like to love."
"You know I am not good with explaining this stuff Curie."
"Yes but you are the only one I can ask."
"I don't like taking about my feelings."
"Please, I need this for my research." I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep from laughing, this had absolutely nothing to do with research.
"Love…um well."
"Yes."
"I am thinking Curie. Love makes you happy."
"I gathered that much, but why does it make you so happy?"
"I guess love is when you see something and instead of thinking how happy it makes you, you think about how happy it would make them. Suddenly someone else's happiness is more important than your own. Just seeing them smile brings joy to your heart. You are willing to compromise with them about things you normally wouldn't. You never grow tired of their company. It's always better when they are there. I don't know what else to tell you."I walked on ahead of her, trying to find a good place to rest for the night. She floated there for a moment deep in thought but not talking.
"I still don't understand the emotion and I fear I never will." She finally said after much deliberation. "Can you explain more." I sat and though about Shaun.
"You feel like your home when your around them. Doesn't matter where you, are as long as you are together, you are home."
"What else?"
"I honestly don't know. I liked it much better when you wanted to know about pearls and sand.
XXXXXXXXXXX
We set up camp, and I started to cook a little Mirelurk steak before bed. Curie floated next to me watching as I ate. Before she even asked, I answered. "It taste terrible, but it's food and I have to eat." I reached into my bag and pulled out a mutfruit and gave it to her. "Now these are delicious and give me a ton of energy. Not as good as food before the war but definitely better than anything else in the wasteland." She took it, and held it in her little robotic hand staring at it.
"May I keep this, for my research."
"Of course," I smiled at her. I just hoped I'd be able to find more food before the hike back to Sanctuary.
"I guess, I better be getting to sleep." Curie did her little robot nod and I started to set out my bed roll. I climbed in and she moved to hover over me as I slept. She kept look out and let me get a few hours of shut eye. I never asked her to, she just took it upon herself to keep me safe while I rested. Something she always did when I went to bed. At first I was bothered by the humming of her motor but the longer we traveled together the more I loved it. Now it simply lulls me to sleep. I had my own personal guardian angle.
"Can I speak to you for a moment?" I opened my eyes and sat up.
"Is everything alright?"
"On a whole, no it is not. I have spent much effort gathering information in our travels so far. And my self-diagnostics has come to a grim conclusion. It is not a lack of data or a lack of collaboration which stifles my scientific progress. The inescapable truth is that there has never been a great robot scientist."
"Curie, your a genius and I am sure you will make a break through soon."
"You are polite to say this, but if something doesn't change, my efforts will remain stagnated. The greatest minds in history, the Einsteins and the Curies, my namesake, have all had something besides raw data...analysis capabilities." I nodded but I really didn't understand what she meant. "They have had a spark. The illusive inspiration is something I must posses."
"Okay...so how are you going to do that."
"If I am to advance my understanding of medicine in this strange world. I must embark on a great adventure. I must become human, or as close to it as I can find. I must download all that I am into a human brain." I laid down and thought for a moment.
"I know someone who may be able to help. Doctor Amari."
"Please, then we must go and talk to her. Perhaps this is an impossibility, but it must be pursued.
"Of course we will. If there is away to make you human I am sure she will know, she helped me before." I closed my eyes and prayed for Curies sake the doctor would find a way to make her 'more human.' I know Curie says it's because she wants the spark but deep down I think she wants more out of her life. I can feel it.