4. Human and Robot

Greatsword village, Britain: 525 AD.

Penny brought Milo to meet her uncle and Digit. Fidget kept a five meter distance from him and just lurked around, glaring daggers at the young man.

"This is my uncle Gadget," Penny said. "Uncle, this is Milo, I just met him in the inn."

"Hello there, Milo!" Gadget said while extending his neck to get a closer look at the guy.

Milo looked like he had just seen a ghost. "W-what is he?"

Penny told him, "He's a cyborg, which is … How can I explain it in older terms? A human mixed with metal tools."

"A-and that other fellow? Is he a cyborg too?"

Penny patted Digit on the hat. "No, Digit is a robot. He is made almost entirely out of metal, but he can do almost everything a human can do."

"That's right," Digit said while winking. Then he smiled.

"Oh, that's wonderful! How did you do this? With magic? Do you know Merlin? He was the wizard who enchanted my sword!"

At that moment, it dawned on Penny that Fidget might actually be right about Milo. She wanted to ask the other two questions that would pretty much confirm the assumption, but she owed Milo two answers at the moment. She said, "It's not magic, it's actually technology. It's how you use metal and electricity and a few other materials to create something called a machine. We haven't met Merlin, although it would be nice to meet him."

Milo squinted his eyes at her. "You people aren't from around here, are you? You've got strange clothes and this method of making metal talk and act like a human. It's unbelievable!"

"To be honest," Digit said, "we're from the future."

Milo stared at him. "The future?! How can that be possible?"

The blue robot grinned, then said. "Technology. It's the answer to everything."

"Strange," Milo said, "so you people are from another world where this technology thing is everywhere, if I understand right."

"Not another world, just another time. We used to live a couple of thousand years later than you."

"That sounds pretty complicated. Digit, is that orange fellow a robot like you?"

Digit looked in the orange robot's direction, and then back at Milo. "Yeah, he's my brother. His name is Fidget. I don't understand why he is avoiding you, though."

Fidget waved at Digit. "Psst!"

"I'll go see what he wants," Digit said before going to his brother.

"Who are your new friends, Milo?" Josef said as he approached the group.

"Oh, they're some people from the future. She's Penny, and he's her uncle Gadget, and um … those two over there are their robots named Digit and Fidget."

Josef looked at the Gadgetinis. "Lovely contraptions! I want to see them up close!" He ran up to them to touch their hats, much to the robots' annoyance.

Milo turned to Penny and said, "He's my brother. His name is Josef Tōl . He loves intricate metal stuff."

Fidget got fed up with being poked by Josef, who looked like a younger and slightly taller Gadget. He slapped the guy's hand away and said, "Josef, I am your younger–"

Josef picked Fidget up with ease and stared into the little robot's black eyes. "Aren't you a cute little thing?"

Fidget started squirming. "Put me down!"

Josef ignored his order. "Hey, you're like pets made of metal, huh?"

Digit laughed at the sight of his brother being held by Josef and flapping his hands wildly.

Then Josef did something that calmed Fidget. He held him in his arms, almost as if cradling a baby. "For some reason, you remind me of Milo when he was just a little infant."

Before Fidget could say anything, Josef dropped him on the floor and said, "Oh, I shouldn't be ignoring the others." Then he went to shake Gadget's hand. "Wonders! You look almost like me! Are you my distant cousin or something?"

"Wowzers! You look like you're my distant cousin too!" Gadget said.

Meanwhile, Fidget was telling Digit, "I need to communicate with Milo somehow. Can you be the messenger?"

"Sure. What do you want me to tell him?"

"Tell him to stop flirting with Penny, otherwise he's going to end up kind of like Oedipus."

Digit furrowed his eyebrows. "Hold on a second! Are you trying to subtly call the guy a motherfu–"

"No, Digit! You don't get it! I used to be him!"

"Yeah, you're going haywire, bro."

Fidget stomped his foot. "Tell him to stop!"

"I've changed my mind," Digit said. "I'm not going to play the messenger. This is getting ridiculous."

Fidget crossed his arms. "Great. I can't rely on any of you."

Gadget was showing off his gadgets and extendable limbs while Josef was priding himself in having crafted the multiple mini weapons he carried, including what seemed to be a shuriken launcher.

"Hey, Milo, I've got a request for you," Penny said. "Could you let me test something with your sword, please?"

Milo shook his head. "I don't know you enough to trust you with it, so I'm not lending it to you at this time."

"How about giving it to your brother then, so he could help with the test? I need to know why Fidget cannot approach you. It might have something to do with the magic in your sword."

"Hmm, that can be done," Milo said. He interrupted Josef's bragging. "Brother, could you take this sword near the orange robot, please?"

"Sure," Josef said while taking the weapon. He brought it near the Gadgetini until it was mere centimeters from touching the robot's body.

"I feel something weird in my chest," Fidget said. "It's like a swarm of bees is buzzing to get out of me."

Digit raised an eyebrow at the whole scene, not understanding what was going on. Then he saw his brother faint, so he jumped to stop his fall. He caught him just in time. "Josef! Take that thing away! It's obviously hurting him!"

Josef shrugged and took the sword away. "I guess Milo was trying to fool him or something."

Digit shook the orange robot's limp body. "Fidget! Speak to me, brother!"

Fidget regained consciousness and said, "I just felt like my head was full of static for a second."

Penny took mental notes of the effects and then said, "Milo, for the next test, could you approach Fidget without your sword, please?"

Milo nodded. "Sure can, my lady!" Then he started walking toward the Gadgetinis. The closer he got, the more faded and restless Fidget became, to the point where he jumped out of Digit's arms and shouted at Milo to stop. Milo started to fade away too, but he was too focused on the orange robot to notice.

"I see," Penny said. "Come back, now!"

Milo came back to her. "Why is this happening? Did some witch put a curse on us? I felt strange while walking toward him."

"Just tell him already!" Fidget said.

The entrance door of the inn had been kicked in by a man who shouted, "A dragon is burning the village!"

"A dragon!" Gadget and Josef said at the same time.

"D-dragon?" Fidget said as he hid behind Digit and quivered.

"Dragon!" Milo said, hiding behind Penny.

At that point Fidget was distracted enough to bare his teeth at Milo for being too close to his mother again.

"Come on, gang! It's time to arrest that dragon!" Gadget said while pointing at the exit.

"Arrest? We slay dragons around here!" Josef said while grabbing his golden flail off the table.

Gadget shrugged. "Alright, slaying works too."

Josef threw the sword at Milo's feet and told him, "Come on, brother! Today you'll slay your first dragon!"

Milo took the sword and peeked from behind Penny. "K-kind of early for that trial, don't you think?"

"Get away. Get away. Get away from her, just get away," Fidget kept chanting, but only Digit could hear him.

Gadget wrapped his left arm around his family and Milo, and then followed Josef to the dragon while dragging them with him.

Five wooden houses nearby were on fire, and a giant red dragon walked among them. It ate the roasted sheep and cattle left behind by its scorching spree. Its long tail smacked an intact house, causing it to collapse.

Gadget gasped. "Wowzers! Were there people in those houses?"

"If there were, I don't think they are among us anymore," Josef said. "This is why us knights slay dragons. These savage beasts care not about anyone other than their own kin, and there is no way to reason with them."

"Well, in that case, it's time to bring out the big guns," Gadget said. "Go Go Gadget Defensive Procedure!"

"Those are like the missiles he used on the moon!" Fidget said.

Digit stared at Gadget in shock. "But is he still capable of using them responsibly?"

Josef stared at the huge amount of weapons on Gadget. "What are those, my good man?"

"Missiles and laser cannons," Gadget said. "Watch this!" The weaponry was all fired at the dragon, sending the beast tumbling over several houses.

"Aah! Our neighbors' houses!" Fidget said.

Milo reacted just as horrified. "Our neighbours might have been in there!"

"We need to get rid of the dragon, not help it cause more destruction!" Josef said to Gadget. "Stand back and let me handle this!" He went to his house to equip his armor and returned riding his white horse, which was equally prepared for battle, wearing its own armor.

"He brought Sorrowsweet with him!" Fidget said.

Digit gave him a weird look. "Who?"

"Josef's trusty mare!"

"A horse can't possibly do anything to help in such a situation!" Digit said.

Fidget smiled as he watched Josef ride in circles around the confused dragon. Then the knight took out his latest weapon, which was made of a chain led by a heavy iron weight, and threw it at the dragon's head, wrapping the chain around its snout. The beast could no longer blow fire, so it chose to thrash about in an effort to escape. It managed to pull Josef off his horse and drag him.

"Alright, that kind of worked," Digit said, "but how is he going to deal with this?"

Josef took out the shuriken launcher and used it to shoot a shuriken at the dragon's neck. Unfortunately, the dragon moved quick enough to parry it with its right wing. Just as Josef tried to equip another shuriken, the dragon spread its wings and took off, taking the knight with it.

"Brother!" Milo yelled as he chased after the dragon.

"Go Go Gadget 'Copter!" Gadget said. Nothing happened. "I said 'Go Go Gadget 'Copter!' " Still nothing. "Must be too broken to function. Well then, Go Go Gadget Super Booster Rocket!" A purple rocket appeared on his back and extended two handles out of itself so he could guide it. He took off and headed after the dragon.

"We must follow them!" Penny said. "We'll have to take Milo with us somehow."

Fidget grumbled something while glaring at Milo.

Penny pointed at Digit, "You! Carry Milo! Fidget, you carry me!"

Fidget said, "But we'll be getting there much slower than if we would leave Milo behind!"

Penny scowled at him. "Fidget! His brother is being taken away by a dragon! He has every right to be on this mission!"

Fidget sighed. "You're right. I know he cares about his brother a lot. After all, I've actually walked in his shoes before." He summoned his rotor and picked Penny up, letting Digit carry Milo.

The flames continued to scorch the village, which had been evacuated rapidly to avoid any further loss of human lives.

London, England: the future.

The Elizabeth Tower – which many people often miscall Big Ben – was illuminated bright red as the city was on fire. Two dragons flew circles in the sky, awaiting orders from their master.

Doctor Claw watched this on his monitor and said, "Nobody can stop me now! Ha ha ha!" His M.A.D. Cat gave a malefic but joyful meow while he petted it. "They cannot remove the portal devices from inside the dragons' heads. The army's weapons are useless against what they cannot catch. And best of all, Gadget seems to have disappeared off the face of the Earth! I would too if I were such a disgrace! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Greatsword village, Britain: 525 AD.

Gadget ended up caught in a barren tree while his rocket made a crater in the ground nearby. "Wowzers! That was close!"

Fifty meters away, Josef was hanging upside-down from a similar tree, wrapped up by his own weapon's chain and swinging like a pendulum. "I'm still alive! It's a miracle!"

Fidget landed with Penny, then went to help Josef get down. He replaced his right hand with a mini chainsaw and cut the chains, then the knight landed over him.

"Thank you, Fidget!" Josef said.

Fidget crawled from underneath him. "No problem brother. Er, I mean Josef." Then he felt a jolt of electricity in his chest as he started turning semitransparent again. He turned around to realize Milo was heading toward Josef, so he just flew away with his rotor to avoid getting erased.

"Josef! I'm so glad you survived!" Milo said, hugging his brother.

"I've been through worse. Now let's catch up with the beast. It went toward that mountain." Josef pointed at the place, and then started walking in its direction.

Milo took his sword out and said, "Well, Penny, I guess you might witness my first ever dragon slaying. If we get to capture it, that is."

"Just be careful, Milo!" she said.

Milo took an attack pose with his sword and smirked at her. "I'll do my best!"

Fidget whispered to Digit, "I can't trust the guy. He's going too far, showing off like that. He's supposed to be a coward, like me!"

"Aw, come on, bro! Aren't they cute together?" Digit said.

"Have you been paying any attention to what I've been telling you? I used to be him! I know how he thinks! His idea of a date involves a stable and a pile of hay!"

Digit snickered at that. "So that's how you think too."

"What?! No! The person I am today has nothing in common with him!"

"Except being a glutton," Digit said.

Fidget pushed him from the side. "I heard that!" He then looked at the teenagers in front of him. "Penny!"

She heard him and then said, "Excuse me, Milo. Fidget wants something." She went near the Gadgetinis and was not at all surprised to see a sulking Fidget. "Hey, what's up?"

"You know very well what's up," Fidget said, looking away from her.

"Don't worry, I believe you now. It's just that I don't know how to explain it to him."

Fidget pointed at her while giving her a dirty look. "You just don't want to. Admit it!"

"Well, yeah … I don't want to make things even more awkward. Anyway, I think I know why you're suffering strange problems whenever he approaches you, but also why you became who you are today."

"I know why I start fading out whenever he is near, and it seems to be doing the same to him. We can't get too close, otherwise we'd get annihilated by the time feedback loop. But what's up with the sword? It isn't part of my body."

Penny pointed at Fidget's chest and said, "Could you open up your motherboard compartment, please?" After the Gadgetini followed her order, she pointed at the biggest microchip he had on the motherboard. "See that black square thing? It contains some gold inside. That gold may have been part of the sword. That microchip contains your personality and your hardware instructions. I guess it is safe to say it also contains your soul, which has somehow been bound to the sword after you died."

"Died? I was torn apart in a portal! I don't even know how I ended up in that sword. I kind of … forgot everything and woke up in this body, and ..."

"Now this explains everything!" Digit said while putting himself between Fidget and Penny. "That's why you were capable of walking without any help from the first minute of being activated, while I stumbled for half an hour! That's why you sought food like it came naturally to you! That's … also why you could understand Penny's feelings better. You were there for her when she was sad, while all I could do was tell her to suck it up. You were a better person than me, simply because you actually were a person and I was not."

Fidget patted him on the back. "Digit, I ..."

"You were always telling the truth, and I didn't believe it. I've been a horrible brother. It's no wonder you care more about Josef than about me."

"No, I just don't want to see him hurt again!" Fidget said. "He was taken away from me by a blasted witch who dropped a giant rock on him! I saw him die, Digit! Do you at least have a general idea of what that feels like?"

Digit had a miserable look on his face as he stared at the ground. "I think I felt something like that when I thought I was about to lose you. That time the Robo-Sasquatch crushed you … it made me wonder what I'd do if you'd be gone for good."

"Well then, help me save him before he dies again!" Fidget said, bringing his rotor out and flying toward the mountain.

Digit summoned his own helicopter blades and took off after him. "Hold on! We don't stand a chance against the dragon!"

"Digit! Fidget! Don't you dare!" Penny shouted. But they ignored her.

The dragon drank from a lake in the forest, so it didn't notice the Gadgetinis, who were sneaking past it. This allowed them to reach the mountain and find the cave where the witch lived.

"Alright," Fidget said to Digit, "The witch will be waiting for anyone to enter her cave, and she'll be somewhere to our right. There is this giant boulder there. We need to sneak up on her, so we'll have to be airborne. Get your 'Copter out and let's do this!"

They flew into the cave and landed on the ledge where the witch had been waiting. She took a few steps back and said, "I did not expect them to send devils after me!"

"The only devil around here is you, nasty old hag!" Fidget said as he launched a net at her. He smirked as he watched her struggle, but he did not stop at that.

Digit knew this was bad news. "Uh, Fidget? What are you going to do with her?"

Fidget grabbed the net and dragged the struggling witch to the edge. "I'll show her what happens when the tables have turned! Good thing Penny did not force the three laws of robotics on us."

Digit's jaw dropped. "Fidget! Don't do it, bro! You're better than that!"

After throwing the witch off the ledge, he said, "Yeah, I could burn her at the stake, but given the current situation, a boulder will do." He tried to push the big rock, but Digit wrapped his arms around him and dragged him away.

The dragon entered the cave and blew a fireball at the Gadgetinis, causing the boulder to fall over the witch and crush her.

"At least it wasn't you who killed her," Digit said to his brother.

The dragon prepared to launch another fireball at them, but then realized something. It turned around to notice that Gadget was holding its tail to put handcuffs on it.

"You are under arrest!" Gadget said.

Josef arrived and used his chain weapon to tie the dragon's limbs while avoiding the fireball it launched at him. Because the chain had to be tied in order to fix it after Fidget had cut it, there weren't enough links left to tie the dragon's mouth, so the beast was still free to breathe fire.

Milo noticed another boulder at the top of the ledge. It was much smaller than the big one near the dragon, but it would have to do. He went up there while the Gadgetinis flew out of his way, and then he pushed the boulder over the dragon's head, knocking it unconscious.

"Great work, Milo!" Josef said. "But it's still breathing. So come down here and slay it with that sword I gave you!"

"Will do, brother!" Milo said as he took his sword out and jumped off the ledge. Then he gave a wide grin to Penny before saying, "Now you can see me slay my first dragon, my lady!"

She smiled back and said, "Amazing! I never thought I'd take part in such a historical event!"

"Penny!" Digit yelled. "The portal is getting pretty unstable! We need to go, now!" He pointed at the orange vortex that was getting ripply. It wasn't positioned exactly on the table; half of it went into the cave's wall.

Fidget started to turn semitransparent again. He smiled and said, "Well, it was worth it."

Penny rushed to check on him. "Fidget! What is happening to you?"

"Well, there's no more witch to send the past me through the portal that tore my soul out, so I'll never become ... Fidget."

"Oh no!" Penny said, covering her mouth with her hands. "No! I don't want to lose you!" She wrapped her arms around him as her eyes got all teary.

"You can still visit my past self. You two seem to get along well, a-and it wouldn't be awkward anymore." He started getting teary-eyed too.

She hugged him tighter. "I'd rather not lose the version of you I've met first."

His cheeks were already covered in tears. "Well, I'm sorry it has to end this way. Take care of yourself, Penny!" He let her go and looked around for Digit.

"I just don't get it," Digit said, scowling at him. He would have cried if he could. "Why did you have to change things if you knew you had to lose everything you are? I hate you for tricking me into helping you with this plan! If I knew, I never would have followed through! You've made me kill you! You jerk!"

Fidget tried to stop his voice from shaking as he said, "I'm sorry, Digit. It's just that I wanted to go back and spend more time with my blood brother. I wanted to become who I used to be. Robots outlive all their loved ones. Humans ... can enjoy more things life has to offer, and don't get centuries of watching everyone they've ever cared for die." He tried to hug the other Gadgetini.

Digit pushed him away. "Robots don't have to stick around if they don't want to. They can choose to be destroyed. But they have only one life." He pointed at his brother. "You'll get an eternity, but you won't even know me anymore!"

Fidget said, "There is nothing I can do to change this." Then he tried to hug Digit again.

The blue robot denied him the hug once more. "Then leave me alone! You're making it harder for me to accept this!"

Barely seeing through the curtains of tears that formed over his eyes, Fidget said, "I just want to hug my brother of the same motherboard one last time. Can't I have this simple request?"

Digit finally gave in. "Gah, alright. Come here, you stupid, stupid brother of mine!"

Penny couldn't stop crying seeing the two little robots hug. It was clear to her that Digit hoped that somehow time would not take his brother away from him if he just held on tight enough.

Gadget walked up to them. "Hey, why is everyone so gloomy now?"

Fidget finally managed to tear himself away from Digit and said, "Lieutenant, I regretfully have to inform you that ... I'm retiring early."

Gadget frowned. "Aw, why?"

"Personal problems, sir. I will have to stay here."

"Oh. Okay then. We'll come visit you from time to time."

Fidget barely held himself back from outright bawling. "I'm afraid you will not be able to find me. I'm going to a top secret retirement place."

"Well, in that case, private Fidget, you will be missed."

"Take care of Penny and Digit for me, okay, sir?"

"I will!" Gadget said while pointing at him. "You have my word!"

Fidget saluted with his right hand. "Thanks, Lieutenant. It has been an honor working with you."

"Guys!" Digit said. "We better go, because the portal is getting really unstable!" Then he added a barely audible, "Like my mind."

Penny and Gadget followed Digit into the portal, leaving a fading Fidget behind.

Milo plunged the sword into the dragon's neck, slaying the beast. When he looked around, he was disappointed to notice that there was nobody but Josef who witnessed and applauded his triumph.

Almost completely transparent, Fidget went up to a nest he had found on a rock in the back of the cave. It contained three red, scaly eggs that were as big as those of an ostrich. He knew they were not laid by a bird, but by a dragon, so he used all the anger that had piled up inside him during his last moments and smashed the eggs with his fists.

To be continued.