The Secret of Solex
Chapter 3
Connor awoke with a dull ache in his back and head. His eyes opened slightly to see a blurry Cubix standing over him. The robot's visor was dim, but brightened upon noticing the boy's awakening. It was then he noticed that he was in a hospital, with Abby and Dondon also standing/floating near the bed.
"He's awake!" Dondon pointed out. Mong and Chip walked within Connor's blurry range of vision.
"What…happened..?" he whispered.
"You were injured by Kilobot," Chip explained.
"The doctor said that there was no serious damage, but they want to keep you overnight just incase there's complications," Abby said.
Connor nodded tiredly. Cubix watched the boy with uncontained worry.
It's your fault. You failed to protect him.
He is injured because of you.
He is paying for your failure.
The repetitive, hostile whispers had plagued him ever since his battle with Kolossal and Kilobot. Cubix had initially been surprised by his newfound, intrusive thoughts. Yet, with all things considered, the haunting words made sense. He had failed, and Connor was the one who paid for it. A pang of guilt gripped him and refused to let go.
Suddenly, the doctor walked into the room. He was a kind, elderly man with a soft spot for children. "Alright now. It's past visiting hours. You all need to go home."
"Can…Cubix stay…?" Connor asked weakly. The doctor looked over to the large robot with silent consideration. He hadn't moved from his place by the boy's bedside, and his presence appeared to put the child as ease.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Yes, you can stay, but don't cause any trouble," the physician said with a nod of his head. "The rest of you have to go."
With a nod of understanding, the children said their goodbyes to their injured friend, with promises to return first thing in the morning. After they left, the old man turned off the lights and closed the door.
"I'm sorry," Cubix murmured once the doctor had left.
"Why…?" Connor asked, his weakened voice tinged with confusion. The robot's visor provided the only light source in the room, and was a source of comfort for the boy. It had been a year since he had first moved to Bubble town, a year since he had met Cubix. Yet, Connor felt as if he had known Cubix forever. The robot had a young mentality, Connor guessed roughly that of a seven year old. Along with the youthful disposition also came an innocence that was a rare sight in this day and age, even among children. With that in mind, Connor was rarely angry at the robot. He was simply too compassionate to have any malicious intent, and any wrong that he would commit was purely unintentional.
"I failed to protect you," Cubix said, his reverberating tone full of anguish. "I'm so sorry…"
"Hey…" Connor tenderly reached his hand out. The robot responded by taking his hand. "Don't be…sorry…you did the…best you could…it's not even…a serious injury… Heck… with all of the trouble…Doctor K's been causing…it was only a matter…of time…"
He's only saying that to make you feel better.
It was your fault. You failed to protect him.
He was the one who reactivated you and you repay him by letting this happen!
Connor's brows narrowed with concern, as his words seemed to have little to no effect on the robot's current temperament. Slowly, he scooted over to the edge of the bed and gestured to the empty space next to him, "Hey, it's ok. Come here."
You don't deserve his affection.
You failed him.
He could have died because of you!
The disembodied voice continued to haunt him. What made the voice even more haunting was that it was his own. Towards the beginning of the robot's life, he had been plagued with low confidence and had questioned his own abilities. After the lab explosion with Doctor Nemo so many years ago, Cubix's psyche had been stuck in suspended animation. He had the ability to think, to feel, to hear, but he could not move, could not react. The robot had waited for somebody to fix him, as he assumed that he would not be able to activate on his own. Many attempts had been made to fix him, yet he still could not activate. It could never be determined whether he simply lacked the confidence to try, or feared what life he would be forced to live if he had awakened, but when Connor came into his life, everything had changed. Despite his obvious faults, the boy openly showed affection to him, and the want to be his friend. This gave Cubix the will and courage to renew his efforts to self-activate, which ultimately deemed successful. As time progressed, Connor's unconditional love and reassurance helped him to find his true potential, as well as his own voice. Cubix discovered that, no matter what he did or what mistakes he may make, Connor would always be there for him. As a result, it had been a long time since he had questioned himself. Now, he couldn't get the demeaning thoughts of self-blame out of his mind. The boy was so important to him, and he allowed him to get injured so easily. Yet, Connor acted as if he had already been forgiven. Cubix simply didn't know what to do. He did not deserve the child's affection, but if he didn't respond it would only cause unnecessary worry. Finally, the robot sat down on the bed and leaned back against the headboard.
With a gentle smile, the boy shifted forward and laid his head on his friend's lap and wrapped his arms around his waist. At the contact, the android visibly relaxed. Connor was aware that along with Cubix's young mentality came the childish need for affection. The boy also felt safe with him, proving the embrace to be mutually beneficial. Fortunately, he had been spared the criticism of most adolescent social structures, including their definition of "masculine." As a result, he found no wrong in showing attachment to a robot that clearly had human needs and emotions.
The boy's affection had always brought the robot comfort. But on that evening, nothing could dispel the hostile words that whispered in the back of his mind…
Dr. K walked into the recharging chamber that housed his two greatest creations: Kolossal and Kilobot. With a grin of approval, he watched as Kilobot psychically whispered cruel and demeaning words into his rival's mind through the chip that his partner had planted near Cubix's audio receptor. Having copied most of Cubix's EPU, his antagonist knew exactly what to say in order to cause the greatest turmoil. Rubbing his hands together, Dr. K laughed sinisterly.
Soon it will be time for phase two of his plan.
Author's Notes: It was difficult trying to write the Cubix/Connor cuddle scene without making it sound wrong. O_o It probably still does. Oh well. I was also troublesome trying to come up with alternate names for Cubix besides "the robot." "The android" sounds funky in my opinion, but I need at least three different names to call him by so all of the sentences won't sound the same. If there are other names that you can think of, for him as well as Connor (since "the boy" or "the child" are the only names I can think for him right now as well) please feel free to tell me. I'm working on some Cubix artwork that I will put on my site soon. (t to become longer. I hope you like this fic so far, and that it gives the poor, unloved robot some deserved attention. =D