The first seconds of the duo's march on was met, not just with the common apprehension that had been built into Haydee's mainframe, but also awe as both of the pairs focus was garnered towards the area at large. With the bright light burning down on them from above, highlighting all that needed to be seen, the pair of intrigued and bewildered characters made tentative steps over the hardened stone underneath, each sole that hit the floor made an echo burst to all around. For the first few seconds after entering; they did little more than simply take it all in.
It was almost overwhelming; the sheer size of it all, dwarfing not only the mismatched pair, but also any such area they had previously pushed through to, as before them lay a land that made their world feel so small and feeble to them now.
. . . Course, giant-sized or not, the place they two now stepped into was a container not unlike the many others. Four walls, a ceiling high up above, and a ground. . . that only existed for the minor pathway there were on, as much of the place was a void of empty, silent space, a deep chasm not six feet under to any unfortunate fellow that dropped off the edge.
"Can you see the ground, Haydee?" Dale asked innocently as his head popped up from the side of the ledge, thankfully that all around the edges a white railing ensured little chance one could slip right off. Haydee never answered his inquiry, but in truth Dale began to believe such an answer had already been found. He tried not to gaze as long as he meant it to, lest the abyss began to gaze back, so in deterrence he timidly backpedalled a few spaces before turning to his metallic companion.
"Do you think this drop ever ends?" Perhaps, she lightly thought up, as she had one experience where there was indeed a bottom to those ever-dark crevasse, though; in all likelihood she'd prefer not find the answer with first-hand experience. Ignorance may be bliss, but so was never needing to find an answer in the first place, and her time would be better spent on more productive matters; such as on the way forward.
It didn't take her long into this room to have fully examined it's layout; of which largely because there was little to note. Despite the room's large size, the main hub the two must navigate past was little more than two interconnected wide squares, kept interconnected by a long, unsafe bridge, ending on both sides with an entryway for them to pass onto. For which; the only viable difference between the two was the other having their railings coloured a garish green. Different or not, she still a had to seemingly fulfil, and seeing it did not lay here, Haydee focused her full attention to the way forward.
"Well; I may not have my memories back, but at least remembered enough to know to not jump, right?" He tried to force out a chuckle after his rhetoric question, a light-hearted jab to arm the mood, but any such chance it would have gotten attention, let alone a rise, out of Haydee was swiftly shown to not happen, as said machine had already made a move onward and brisked past him without so much as a look back.
Out the entryway, and onto the slim bridge, the gynoid took on no reason to look to either her left or right, both sides empty of the railing that could mean the difference between a minor trip and utter death. She knew of the risks, but her analytical mind paid it no heed, fear being the frivolous notion she sought no reason to gain.
Something that cannot be said for the human struggling to trail behind her. Sure; it was no tightrope, but the space he was given to safely walk across was anything but wide. He tried not to look down, even as the call of the void was singing to him, leaving him to only direct his mind into more notable thoughts; the forefront of which was about the gynoid currently situated in front.
From the moment he awkwardly gave a oratorical quip towards the oblivious machine it became clearer about an idea he had steadily come to realize. Her stoic remarks and blunt orders had made it pretty easy for him to tell her own focal point was entirely on the solving and subsequent progression of these multiple areas, yet for what reason was never stated. Not that he could expect direct answers from the machine, given the obvious facts, but at least he would have assumed she had some, if any, question to ask him throughout their short travels. Of his existence, or what he can remember to any degree; but not once was he given any sort of inquiry about himself from the machine. Even if his treatment from her was. . . candid, by how straightforward it was, never truly callous in manner, just brusque overall, he still hoped she could have at least given himself some idea of how he should feel for any of this.
Yet there was nothing. Nothing she had for him.
Such thoughts about the gynoid were completely ignorant on the side of the female in question, as the only reason she did stop her march after making her steps onto the otherside was to examine the door that paused any access. It was blocked, that she knew the moment she saw the obsidian grating covering it's entire being, but only up close could she finally get an understanding as how to get on through: right beside itself was a common screen pad. Well. . . common in shape, she quickly summarized, as the major difference here was the symbol on the screen, while still a padlock in shape, glowed with a jade tone. A fitting colour, as it matched the same shading of the railings, but that didn't help her with where that key was located. . . unless, maybe. . .
"You're not trying to help me find my memories, are you Haydee?"
Before the mechanical hand could attempt a search into her backpack, the unexpected inquisition froze even the slightest of twitches as the gynoid re-examined that statement, before her still head made a spin around to face the one that spoke it so bluntly. Standing his ground, refuse to move by and push, Haydee looked at him with cautious observation before she made judgment. The face he wore looked almost as stoic as her own, not a hint of emotion shown all over his visage. He was serious, she suspected, and if she wanted to keep moving at this pace, she assumed it best to answer him without further delay.
She shook her head.
"I was right then. . . "
There was no lie she made, either here or from before. Her purpose, though still unseen, even from now, was not one she suspected had anything to do with helping this human. She understood his plight, and still, to a general degree, would prefer him to regain what he has lost, but she held no belief her awakening had much to do with this human in the first place. Yes, she knew there was little stating she wasn't meant to completely help him, but such ideas could not be encountered either, as they had been nothing to have her speculate her purpose was aligned with him. Though still plausible, if it were true, why was she not awakened closer to this human, and instead was actively forced to go through a gauntlet of dangers and obstacles that heeded her attempt to help him. Without any such indication this was her purpose, she sought it fair to only let him come, not because she was meant to, but because she needed his presence, at least until his own path was found and she could let him leave in relative safe measures.
. . . Yet still; she could at least assume that this was weighing heavily over him. Though she was not developed to hold any memories beforehand, only knowledge, assessment and deciphering, she could see why having essentially null from a human perspective would cause mental derangement to those involved. A human's actions, thoughts, judgments and passions were all built up from the day they were born, many years worth of understanding and resolve that were formed from all their experiences and memories; and to awake with having practically none of left, of no memoires at all, of no recollection that would explain anything about their own existence. . . well; she was glad she could not experience such a fact.
What if she could? What if she could experience memory loss, what if she did awaken with having memories unable to be resurfaced? Humans need their memories to function, to remember the ones they loved and the things they did; whether important, informal, or a common routine, all usual circumstances of the life they lived would be completely turned blank - her process, her very functions no longer able to be recollected. That wasn't a way of life she wished to have, nor share onto others, so why should it be fair for Dale. . .
"That's fine." He suddenly emitted, not with a burst, more so much as a release of words from his mouth. "I shouldn't expect you to do what I want. It's not as if you were programmed to do exactly that, so why should I expect it from you? You have your own thing to do, and it isn't right for me to take that away from you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put all that onto you, you don't deserve it after all the kind ways you helped me; regardless of where your intentions lined. I have my own problems that I need to deal with; even if I don't know how." The way he spoke, how weak, low, unpassionate of a statement he gave. . . it felt as if it was draining her own ardour. As he stood without spirit in this cold land, her own faltered as she saw just horrible his zeal was being leeched off of him.
He deserved better than what he has now. None of all this was his fault by any stretch of assessment, so by all accounts it was not rightful for him to be overcome with depressive acceptance. And as her sensors indicated how melancholic of a feeling he was having via his solemn expression, she also knew a little softening would go a mile. As she thought over his confession over useless admission, it dawned on her how pitiful he let himself be. So with added remembrance; if his positive outlook towards unlocking the way through was any indication, the gynoid quickly perceived just the right way that might help.
With a hand finally able to reach all the way inside her pocket, and a few formulated steps off to the side, the machine let his sight be unhampered as she gently handed the human something of a specifically mindful recollection. Her hand with it raised slowly, giving him the moments needed to understand what she was intending for him.
For the human, he instantly knew what it was he was being shown, the green frame matched the highlighted symbol in perfect synchrony, and for what its purpose was he already guessed, it being not the first one he had his hands grasp over this, yet to why was not the question he could immediately answer. She was closer to the door than he was, but still, the way she was presenting it, not forcing it upon him but instead offering the item with but an open palm, made it seem as if she wanted him to be the one to unlock their way. There was no purpose, no reason for why the gynoid would leave the task for him to do when she was handily able to complete it herself, none that would make any judicious sense to him:
Except, perhaps; in that she just simply held trust in him.
His frown slowly dissipated, giving a welcoming feeling to the gynoid as she watched him take the key card out of her palms. With a nod, and the slightest glint of a grin, the human travelled past her and up to the awaiting roadblock, so he could look it up and down with a strong surge of value running through him. With just one final peer for the green card that laid between his fingers, Dale calmly inserted the item into the affixed pad, watched as the screen's background turned a clean shade of chartreuse, and took a step back to admire his work unfold before him.
It only lasted for a few seconds, even the echoing noise of the mechanisms died down as suddenly as it jolted awake, but that curt moment felt to last as that rush of worth swam through him like a stream. By a few seconds more of his admiration lasted until the steps of the gynoid shoes stepped to him, he turned around to face her with obvious elation.
She thought it suited him, that warm smile he wore; neither wide nor engorged, but an apposite beam that made it evident to her how his current emotions were holding up. She could see; that a positive outlook was worn on him better than any aversive sentiment.
So to show appreciation for his efforts, the gynoid calmly brought a hand up and ruffled the human's hazel hair with the lightest of touches, listening to him illicit minor chuckles from his throat as he seemed to take some delight from her actions. She thought she liked that noise, his bashful laugh. What an appealing noise to be heard over this backdrop of dreary vibrations emanating from echoed walls. As it seemed, even the human's noises were a welcoming existence to this cold and bland land, an undeniably refreshing notion that helped these concrete walls become much less isolating.
Yet these concrete borders did not persist for them to continue dwelling within, and for the reasons neither could nor, only assume, their purpose in being here without justification, both shared a nod as they prepared to walk through the door, and prompt walked forward, side-by-side, ready to face whatever presumed challenges will come there way together.
Their time may not last that long, but she knew she would be glad to have experienced it nonetheless.