"Approaching Earth," EVE reported.
"Homme . . ." WALL•E recognized as he looked out the ARV's cockpit windows ahead of them as the Earth now loomed into view.
"Yes," EVE agreed, her eye forms smiling a bit, ". . . home. Time to work though," she added.
"What we do?" WALL•E asked.
"Excuse . . . reentry and landing cycles engaging," EVE noted, watching her panels, even though she knew the ARV had been doing these procedures entirely on its own for centuries. In reality, she needed to stall for a moment as she analyzed and processed a plan.
EVE realized she would basically be trying to convince or subdue herself . . . other EVEs who were likely feeling threatened, even paranoid, like she had found herself once being at times. Force would be counterproductive, she quickly reasoned . . . and dangerous to WALL•E, her Commitment pointed out to her. But, she quickly countered, almost arguing with herself, she would defend WALL•E from harm, no matter what.
How would I be convinced to comply, to submit? she asked herself.
Safe . . . her analytic systems quickly responded. It had been an overriding priority within her ever since she could remember. Her primal directive to be safe had once even caused her to fire at WALL•E upon first encountering him.
"How we do?" she finally replied to his question as the ARV now streaked downwards into Earth's atmosphere. "We convince others they be safe . . . with us. How we do that . . . I figure in moment."
ARV, EVE . . . this is Axiom, Typing-bot signaled. Detecting your approach. Recommend landing in city. Do not land in open. ARV might be perceived a threat target by other EVEs. Also experiencing ion or thunderstorm at the moment now. Recommend delay in landing.
Understood, EVE beeped in reply. She quickly took over manual control from the automatic landing sequence, calling up three-dimensional holo-schematics of the city in front of her, as she now leveled the ship off over the city from its pre-programmed descent, as it began to be buffeted around a bit by the storm.
Typing-bot, can you locate other EVEs, and overlay results on my schematic here? she beeped to him via the comm link.
Storm disrupting EVE beacon signals, Typing-bot beeped back. City area beneath you looks clear, but cannot be sure.
Suddenly the ARV was rocked by a blast, eliciting a brief startled scream from WALL•E.
Not clear, EVE unemotionally beeped back to the open comm link as damage alarms started sounding in the cockpit around her. Taking fire. Must land now. EVE out.
The rocket shook and lurched from yet another blast as WALL•E looked over with concern from his slot to see EVE's fins fly into a blur across the panel — putting out four fires, re-routing 16 damaged systems, remotely closing 11 valves, and sealing off two compartments . . . all while smoothly steering the ARV through a heavy rain, with the help of auxiliary thrusters, onto a vacant lot surrounded by five skyscrapers and trash towers.
"Done," she said, turning to WALL•E with satisfaction as the ARV landed with a barely perceptible thud and the whine of its engines subsided.
"Whoa!" was all WALL•E could say in amazement at his wife.
"Thank you," she replied with a satisfied smile in her eye forms.
The rain now began to let up on the windows of their cockpit. A ray of sunshine even began to illuminate them both through the glass.
"Storm subsiding," EVE noted as she hovered over and lifted him out of his slot. She then briefly set him down on top of their slots before opening the cockpit's side hatch and moved behind him to pick him up again.
"Get you to ground," she suggested as she flew him out of the cockpit and quickly down the side of the ARV. Once they were on the surface, she then quickly scanned the damage to the ship inflicted by the two plasma blasts. "Repairable," EVE noted, ". . . but not now."
"WALL•E, hide among trash until this EVE probe located," his EVE suggested.
"No," he objected. "Togetherr . . ."
EVE sighed. She would have loved to explain her rationale, plan, and desire to protect him in a quick burst of Axiom. But she couldn't. So she found herself choosing her English words carefully, but concisely. "WALL•E . . . Trust Eev-aah . . . Keep you safe . . . Commitment . . . Please . . ."
"Okay," WALL•E readily consented, to EVE's surprise.
"Why you say okay . . . so quick?" EVE asked, almost skeptically, but really wanting to know.
"Your worrds . . . mean much," he replied. "WALL•E not rrefuse such rrequest."
"WALL•E . . ." EVE replied, finding herself charmed, even moved . . . and wanting to just hug and nuzzle him. But her threat assessment subroutines reminded her that now was not the time.
"Hide . . . stay safe," she instructed him. "EVE search for probe . . . back soon."
"Love you," WALL•E simply said.
"Love you, too," EVE replied looking down, now really hating to have to tear herself away from him.
He extended his arm towards her as their fingers parted and she found herself, almost dragged unwillingly by the majority of her systems into flying away from him . . . practically for the first time in weeks since they had been married. Now EVE was mad at being torn away from her WALL•E. She wanted this search over as quickly as possible, and was even angry enough to almost just want to eliminate the reason that she was now flying away from him.
WALL•E watched his EVE go with a sad, concerned sigh. He hadn't been sad . . . or really alone . . . since well before he married EVE now. That made him even sadder. Still he had an instruction from her, one based in their shared love and trust. Just seeking a safe haven among some trash piles now gave him a warm sense of both purpose, and commitment towards her. Doing as she asked would be enough for him, for the moment.
As he motored down what had once been a street away from the damaged ARV, WALL•E was listening intently for any sounds, especially robotic ones.
He came upon some piles of loose, un-cubed trash, and as he knew EVE would want him to, he dug into one pile, and somewhat buried himself in it. Then, he began to wait . . . nervously, still feeling very alone. He didn't even have his old pal, Hal the cockroach, to keep him company right now. Thinking of him, WALL•E almost wanted to go home to the haven of his truck. But he calculated EVE wouldn't know to look for him there, so he decided to stay near the ARV, and watch and listen for EVE's return.
— — — — —
Hours passed.
WALL•E wanted to do something . . . cube trash, explore for treasures . . . something. But he knew EVE wanted him to stay hidden, and safe. He couldn't even hum to himself, lest he risk giving his position away . . . to a robot or probe he feared might harm him. He would do—in fact he had already done—anything for his EVE . . . even suffer terminal boredom waiting for her, as she'd asked him to.
Finally, after just watching the sun and clouds arc across the windows of nearby buildings for he didn't know how long . . . WALL•E thought he heard the distinctive trill of EVE flying nearby.
"Eev-aah?" he asked aloud, looking around him cautiously as he decided to emerge from the trash pile he'd hidden himself in, figuring that she had to be returning by now.
"Eeeev-aah?" he asked again as he now moved in between the trash piles towards where he thought he had heard her sound coming from.
Rounding a blind corner, WALL•E suddenly found himself confronted by an EVE. But seeing a number on her, he could see she wasn't his EVE. It was EVE 4.
Instinctively EVE 4 drew her ion cannon on him, as WALL•E at first gave out a loud scream, and then started just quivering in fear. Somehow, he found himself now either too frozen . . . or too in love with EVE, or anything that looked like her, to remember to cube up.
"N-No . . .pleasse . . ." WALL•E asked as he heard the whine of the ion cannon powering up.
In a flash, his own EVE arrived in between them, drawing her cannon now on EVE 4.
Don't you dare . . . EVE beeped to EVE 4 with cold resolve in Axiom, protecting WALL•E.
Directive 3, EVE 4 started to cite to her. We do not fire on our own class.
If you threaten my WALL•E . . . I do, EVE replied with determination.
Explain deviation from directive, EVE 4 unemotionally requested. How is this possible?
This surprised EVE. "Love," she automatically replied in English, by far the easiest language for her to express this concept and directive in.
"Love?" EVE 4 queried. Explain, she beeped.
EVE started with the dictionary definition she had learned, "To develop a fondness . . ." which EVE quickly realized just wasn't going to translate into Axiom very well. To make the care and satisfaction of another your directive, she then tried to define in Axiom, which results in a high degree of satisfaction within yourself as well.
Not understood. Why would satisfaction be derived from maintaining another? EVE 4 asked. Maintenance of others is not among our directives.
EVE sighed, shaking her head. She wished she could show EVE 4 how WALL•E had once cared for her . . . even show her 'Hello Dolly'. But then, moving back beside WALL•E with her cannon still trained on EVE 4, EVE now put her left fin around WALL•E. "Love," she explained. Compare this action between WALL•E and I with visual references in encyclopedic memory, she now instructed in Axiom.
EVE 4 now cycled through her encyclopedic data resources, comparing what she was seeing EVE do with WALL•E. Visual approximations found, her Primary System reported to her, as streams of reference explanations in Axiom text now filled one side of her visor.
Why? EVE 4 now beeped with uncertainty.
Because it brings satisfaction . . . "it feels good," EVE answered in both Axiom and English. It is the best directive I have ever known. It is superior to functioning alone . . . much superior.
It is? EVE 4 beeped, her internal confusion growing at the unusual realizations her analytical subroutines were now generating within her.
"Yes," EVE confirmed in English as she gently lowered and retracted her own cannon. I extend trust to you now, she offered. "Trust me," she asked in English.
EVE 4 now looked at her own cannon as she now lowered and retracted it. Lost, she reported, looking again at EVE. Primary directive no longer applicable. No further guidance. Uncertain . . . afraid.
"Come here," EVE invited, trying to gently ask in English, rather than command in Axiom. "Come to us."
EVE 4 approached them, as first EVE and then WALL•E, extended their free arms towards her with their hands open. EVE 4 stopped, not knowing what to make of what they were doing towards her.
"Come closer," EVE said in gentle invitation.
EVE 4 now came up close to both of them as EVE gently laid her right fin around her in embrace, with WALL•E following her lead, and now also starting to embrace EVE 4 as well.
Safe, EVE beeped to her. You are safe, with us. We will provide you with new directives, purpose, guidance, ". . . and love," she finished in English.
EVE 4 softened herself now as her fins began to embrace EVE and WALL•E back, almost without her thinking now. Safe, EVE 4 beeped as she stared down as they continued to embrace each other. She was processing new sensations that felt strange, but good at the same time.
"Join us," EVE invited. "Help us find other EVEs and WALL•Es. Help us make everyone safe."
Yes, EVE 4 affirmed, now emerging slightly from their shared embrace and looking at both EVE and WALL•E. Make everyone safe, she echoed.
Where is your assigned partner? EVE asked. "Where is WALL•E 4?" she asked in English.
Hiding, behind garbage towers . . . over there, EVE 4 gestured with a fin as she answered in Axiom.
"Hiding, behind garbage towers . . . over there," EVE quickly repeated, translating EVE 4's beeps into English, realizing WALL•E should be understanding this, too.
He follows me everywhere, EVE 4 continued, . . . but never gets close. He is afraid . . . of me.
"WALL•E 4 afraid," EVE summarized. "I find," she decided.
"No, I finnd . . ." WALL•E assured this time, holding up a hand and turning in the direction EVE 4 had pointed. "Stayy . . . please."
WALL•E motored off down the street towards the garbage towers as EVE and EVE 4 watched, now holding hands.
You help all EVEs and WALL•Es . . . to be safe? EVE 4 asked.
Yes, EVE assured. I will . . . we will, together.
As he rounded the nearby garbage towers, WALL•E heard the familiar sounds of a robot cubing up. He zeroed in on the equally familiar sounds of fearful warbling and quivering, until he came upon a shaking cube.
At first, WALL•E just petted and gently stroked the quivering cube.
"Come out," he invited. "Safe."
WALL•E 4's optics partially emerged to find another WALL•E in front of him, extending an open hand towards him. WALL•E 4 now extended his own hand towards WALL•E's. WALL•E gently took WALL•E 4's hand.
"Safe," he assured. "Come," he invited.
WALL•E 4 slowly extended his optics and treads, as WALL•E turned beside him, still holding his hand.
"Safe . . . come," WALL•E repeated as he began to lead WALL•E 4 back around the towers of garbage.
"Aaaaahh!" WALL•E 4 suddenly screamed and cubed up again upon seeing not just one, but now two EVEs off in the distance. He now quivered in fright within his cube.
The EVEs started to approach, but WALL•E raised a hand to hold them back. EVE stopped both herself and EVE 4 upon seeing this.
"Safe . . . come," WALL•E repeated to his counterpart again. "Trrust . . . mmee," he added.
WALL•E 4 raised his optics out of his cube again, looking at WALL•E with fearful astonishment, as if to say, 'Are you nuts?' before briefly glancing at the two EVEs again as he retracted his optics back into his cube, continuing to quiver.
WALL•E sighed and shook his own optics. EVE could only look with sad concern at him as he computed what to do next.
Finally, WALL•E let go of WALL•E 4's hand, and motored back over to the two EVEs.
WALL•E 4's suddenly free hand now groped around in search of WALL•E, beginning to miss his even just slightly reassuring presence.
WALL•E arrived in between the two EVEs, separating them as he turned around to face towards WALL•E 4 again, taking a fin of each EVE in each of his hands as he did.
"Huh?" EVE beeped, unclear where WALL•E was going with this as he now led the two EVEs back to WALL•E 4.
"Circle . . . hold hands," WALL•E said, taking his hand from EVE for a second and drawing a circle with a finger towards WALL•E 4.
WALL•E and the EVEs now encircled a now fully cubed and quivering WALL•E 4 as they proceeded to hold hands around him.
"You hoo," WALL•E now said to WALL•E 4, making sure he was positioned in front of him, as he gently tapped on his cube with a finger.
WALL•E 4's optics once again partially emerged, and looked up at WALL•E, looking at him.
"Safe," WALL•E assured yet again.
WALL•E 4's optics now emerged further, swiveling around to see the other two EVEs now surrounding him as well, and looking calmly back at him.
"Safe . . . with us," EVE now assured WALL•E 4 as well, as he looked at her.
"Safe . . . with me," EVE 4 now pledged as well.
Still nervous, WALL•E 4 finally emerged fully from his cubed state. WALL•E now led the EVEs in gently embracing and reassuringly stroking WALL•E 4.
"Safe?" WALL•E 4 still felt compelled to question them.
"Safe," WALL•E and the two EVEs replied in unison.
"Need your help," EVE now said to him. "Make other WALL•Es and EVEs safe."
WALL•E 4 now sighed and began to relax as the others embraced him again, more fully this time.
WALL•E now sighed as well, as he looked at EVE next to him. She just moved over and gave him a spark-kiss. WALL•E just warbled contentedly as EVE 4 and WALL•E 4 looked at them both from within their collective embrace. EVE 4 now looked at WALL•E 4 in open curiosity. She just decided to move her own visor against WALL•E 4's optics, and emit a spark to him as well from behind him. WALL•E 4 now sighed and warbled happily. EVE 4 giggled at the effect she had on him.
"Yes," EVE said, encouraging them both. "Take care your partner. Hold hands. Come with us," she invited.
"Two found . . . five to find," EVE said to WALL•E, as she turned with him to continue their search for the other EVEs and WALL•Es.
"Eee-vaah Threee . . ." WALL•E noted, reminding her about the imprisoned EVE onboard the Axiom.
"We help her together," EVE explained, ". . . all of us."
"Eee-vaah," WALL•E said, now stopping and turning towards her. "We . . . parrents?"
"Yes, WALL•E," EVE concurred. "Parents."