Chapter Six

What Are These Thoughts?

John's partner came back a few times to recharge the flashlight. He brought with him another engineer so no one was ever alone with Sun or Moon. They received a few more DVDs to play, but with no fanfare outside of John's partner announcing their existence before leaving.

Sun played with Bonnie in his lap. "It's been a long time."

"We have been alone for a longer period of time before."

"Maybe. But shouldn't he come back? To tell us it's okay and that he's okay?"

"Perhaps. But some things take time. It may be the case that John is planning something new but must speak with others to gain the appropriate tools."

"Hopefully. I really want to do something."

"As do I."

Some more time passed before they heard footsteps. Sun did not move from their spot. However, he did set Bonnie down and sit up straight.

The door opened.

That wasn't John.

Briana and John's partner now occupied the room with them.

Briana stopped a few feet in front of Sun, near the middle of the room, with her hands behind her back. Even standing up straight, she did not surpass John and barely surpassed Sun and Moon while they were sitting. "John will no longer be joining us. His skills are better utilized in creating and designing bots. Until further notice, I will be testing and teaching you the necessary skills you will need to succeed."

Sun blurted out, "Is John okay?"

"Yes. He is just no longer qualified for this job."

John's partner threw her a foul look but said nothing.

"Now, I understand that John's performance was slow and lackluster. From now on, you will be doing as you are instructed. You will not speak out of line, as you have just done. I know what John said, and I know what he taught you and how he taught you. I know what you do and don't know, so do not pretend otherwise. Do you understand?"

"Sunny, you are okay. John will come back eventually."

Sun managed a nod.

"Good. You were given new material to review. What game involves few to no tools, improvised rules, at least three players, and a large place to run and chase?"

Sun failed to speak.

Briana sighed. Sun could feel Moon's distrust.

Briana said, "I will say this one more time. You will answer me. What game involves few to no tools, improvised rules, at least three players, and a large place to run and chase?"

"Sun, it's tag. She's talking about tag. Tell her tag."

Sun drew a blank on how to answer.

Briana laughed through her teeth. "It's too early for you to be this aggravating. Are you answering or not?"

Sun stammered out a few noises.

"I know you're not broken."

An electric jolt crashed through him and buzzed in the metal and conductive wiring of his system.

Sun couldn't help a yelp. For a moment, he stayed with his arms brought up and shivering fingers curled like claws. He recognized the feeling from when he attempted to touch the camera. But that was nothing comparatively.

Briana, shoulders square and hands behind her back, stated, "You have the ability to answer me. Do it."

Sun glanced at John's partner for help but found none. The man stared at her with wide eyes. He looked back at Sun and then at her. His wide-eyed look deepened into a barely concealed scowl.

"Sun?" Briana prompted. "Are you going to–for fuck's sake, how long does it take to answer a question?"

Sun choked out, "Tag."

"Yes. It's tag. Go figure. What game requires tools for you specifically to use and a platform to use them on that involves either a story from a book or impromptu storytelling?"

Sun again drew a blank.

"Puppet show. Tell her it's a puppet show."

"Puppet show," he managed.

"See? You can answer questions." Briana went on to ask quite a few more questions covering material they had already covered and the newer ones with the games.

Oh, how hard Sun tried to be quick and tried to be obedient. He wanted to be good. But he just wasn't smart enough for it, was he? The third shock she'd somehow administered without getting close and the umpteenth venomous jab confirmed it.

"No. You are a smart bot, Sun." Moon's voice was rigid. Sun could feel his wildly pent-up emotions. "Do not listen to her. She's a liar. You are smart and brave and kind and strong."

"That's enough out of you," Briana stated. She raised her voice, "Cut the lights."

The light shut off.

Sun immediately wished to give over control to Moon. However, both he and Moon gained a sudden apprehension. Moon could spit and hiss and threaten Briana all he wanted while Sun was in control. What would happen if…?

But they didn't resist the change. They couldn't.

Moon sat up straight and stared her down with glittering blue eyes.

Briana stated, "Sing the Cradle Song."

Moon sang five different lullabies without even flinching. It held her gaze, which became increasingly harsher as time wore on. It read stories and it answered questions without a single step out of line, not a breath wasted.

Briana stared at it after it finished reciting the protocols concerning a terror threat. "You will be allowed to neutralize any threat that comes to the children. Do you understand that?"

"Yes."

"You're creepy with glowing eyes. I don't know what John was thinking."

The lights in Moon's eyes winked out.

She started and then huffed. "So, you can shut off the lights in your eyes. Can Sun turn them on?"

"I do not believe so. He does not require them."

"Oh? And what does Sun have that you do not?"

"The ability to make kids and adults alike happy," Moon stated tersely.

"That's not true! You make John happy and John's friend. No one could make Briana happy."

She scoffed. "How very observational of you. You were created to put children to sleep. You aren't going to show your face to anyone but some idiot predator for more than thirty minutes at a time. You won't be interacting with adults nearly as long as Sun. So, you remember that. You are a very expensive piece of equipment, but you aren't necessary. If John won't do it, I'll find another person to reprogram Sun. Understand that?"

"Yes," Moon stated simply. "May I speak?"

"…sure."

"John claimed to have created us," Moon said. "He claimed he would not be able to make Sun do what I do. I have no doubts Sun could on his own, even if he must learn slowly. Why do you threaten me with common knowledge? Do you expect a fear response? That's bad behavior, Briana."

"Oh?" Briana asked. "You're perceptive. I don't know if that's a good thing. Lights on."

Moon released its grip on Sun's body.

Briana turned to John's partner. "Is the TV battery recharged?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." She turned and walked out. John's partner hurried to follow. He shot a sympathetic look over his shoulder once outside.

The door shut.

"Y-you're great, Moon!" Sun congratulated. "You did really well."

"…perhaps."

"What do you mean?"

"Sun, they're going to destroy me. She is correct. They do not require me."

"No! That's not correct!" Sun huffed. He got to his feet and walked. "You're great! Don't be like that. We need you."

"Sun…"

"I froze up. I could barely speak! I couldn't even think of what I was supposed to say! But you could. You're smart and you're brave. They-they need you. Definitely. Absolutely. No doubts about it at all. Briana's being a bully. There's nothing wrong with you. Absolutely nothing."

Sun continued his tirade against Moon's doubts for quite some time. His bouncy walking slowly evolved into a dark stalk, and he threw his arms around in grand and sharp gestures. When he ran out of nice things to say about Moon personally, he went on about what he knew and how well he did it. When that ran out, he talked about their future and how happy the children will be to meet him.

By the time Sun ran out of sufficient words to create an appropriate sentence, realization dawned on him.

He sat down and stared at his knees.

Moon's cognitive processing had dropped to its bare minimum requirements.

Sun buried his face in his hands.

Two more days passed. Sun's scatterbrained thoughts only scrambled further the more time he spent with Briana and her very different testing and teaching methods. Moon came back online when the light went out. It stayed quiet and still for as long as necessary and went back to sleep when the lights turned on.

Sun, standing alone in the room, stated, "Cut the lights."

He gave himself up as soon as the light turned off.

The bot swayed a little as it changed, and its controller was not ready to control it. Moon's eyes flickered on, and it looked around the room.

"There. Now you have to talk to me. And no turning on the lights! I know you, Moon. You will. So, don't. Please."

Moon stared at the camera. The break in Sun's voice at the end broke any thoughts of returning the room to its prior state. Instead, it asked, "What do you wish of me?"

"Something! Anything! I just want you to be here! I miss you, Moon. Please."

"I am still here."

"You're not! No, you're not. You're always asleep. You don't need to. I need to talk to you. Please."

"We are speaking now."

"Urgh! That's not what I meant!"

"I… am aware."

"Then why aren't you around?"

"I am…"

"You're what?"

Moon's fingers twitched. He knew Briana watched the cameras. He couldn't admit her jab hit him in just the right spot.

Urgh! If they could just talk alone!

"That's what we're doing! There's no one else here!"

You can understand me?

"Well, yeah… oh. You're not talking."

I am not speaking.

"Well, then! You have no excuse!"

A low chuckle writhed out of it. Even indignant and angry, Sun found a way to be… Sun.

Moon turned away from the camera and slowly walked around the perimeter of the room. They had long since memorized every little detail of the room, down to the odd scrape or bit of flaked paint.

I am unnecessary.

"You're not unnecessary, Moon."

They believe so. They created us.

"No! They didn't create us! John did. John made us and he made you for a reason. He put a lot of time and work into you, and he said so! He said you were good, and he liked you!"

That was true. John did claim that, all of it.

Well, if John thought I was useful, why is he gone? Briana does not think I am useful.

"Briana can suck an egg."

Moon nearly stumbled over its feet.

What?

"You're my brother. You're nice and useful and smart and necessary. If she doesn't see that, she can just suck an egg."

Moon couldn't help a small chuckle.

"Heh! See! You can laugh!"

Yes, Sun. I can.

"Great! Now that you can laugh, you can talk. Can you read Bonnie and me a story?"