Note: Katze can (and will) never get Fungila's gender right. This will stay the same even if I post a story based on the same world after this.

Note 2: There are some Kazean-translated-to-English terminology in here. Full meanings are, as usual, on the bottom.

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah...

Chapter 6: Discovery

"To answer the question you two explicitly asked," Katze started, "the nearest settlement is that way." He pointed out an opening in the wall and to the northwest.

"Thank you," Mr. At remarked.

"But what was with you?" Blackup asked, tingeing his voice with a large dose of suspicion. "I noticed many suspicious things with you when we entered…"

"I was about to answer that," Katze replied. "The truth is…" He couldn't bring himself to say the final words.

After a long pause, Mr. At broke the silence and guessed, "You're going to say that you were related with us somehow before I left this planet?"

"Correct, you're pretty smart," Katze answered. "I was involved with you before you say you left this planet. In fact…I created you two."

That bombshell took a while to sink into the two robots' minds. Then Blackup raised himself and spoke, "You're trying to suppress that."

"I guess you could say so," Katze responded. "You two were going to help me with my goal of conquering space until…"

"…We angered you somehow, so we got disowned?" Mr. At said as he finished Katze's sentence.

"You're right," Katze commented with much surprise. "I guess you do remember more than I reprogrammed…"

"We don't. We're just pretty smart," Mr. At contradicted Katze's last statement.

"At least I didn't wipe out your intelligence," Katze pronounced. "As for what I had to do, I erased part of your memories. You two disobeyed me in a way I never predicted, so I had to."

"I don't think I'm an amnesiac," Blackup remarked. "Then again, I never bothered to review my past."

"No wonder I don't remember who created me," Mr. At also commented. As he thought of all the reasons why his memories were wiped, his mind was filled with an angry maelstrom of electricity.

As if he needed to stop Mr. At's mind storm, Katze commenced, "It wasn't as bad as what you think, Mr. At. I had to do this to you both only because you stepped out of line. Maybe you should learn you whole story so you would understand why I had to do this."

"I'll appreciate it," Mr. At replied.

"And thanks for implanting memories," Blackup also responded.

Katze drew in a breath and started his story. "It started some quaids ago when I realized that I couldn't possibly see all of this universe in one lifetime. I found that I needed someone to continue my work. Seeing as building malnusikes like you is more practical than having a child who might not agree, I built you, Mr. At. I based you on a model that could be used for exploring the cosmos, even though it was only an experimental prototype.

"Some quaids later, after you were putting through this stellar system learning about the planets, I realized that if you got busted or totalled, my work would be for nothing. So I built your backup, which would eventually develop itself as you, Blackup.

"Unfortunately, when I first powered you for a test run, Blackup, you refused to be power-outed to be more able to work when needed. You rebelled quite strongly, and when Mr. At came back from his voyage, he supported you and your ideas. So I decided that the one way to avoid further troubles like this was to erase those early memories and throw you out of the area. That was what I had to do, so that was what I did.

"After you were both gone, I learned that some other Kazes and malnusikes also discouraged the use of backups and test runs for them, so I now see your point of view. But I still tried to forget your existence. After all the hard work I put into both of you, only to have you be against me, I tried to repress all my memories about you two, as I had done with yours.

"After you two showed in front of me, though, I must acknowledge your existence. Now I am more willing to see what you two have to offer, especially if you are still willing to come back to my service. What is your decision?"

It didn't take long for either robot to come up with a reply. "Sorry, I'd rather not do what I think was asked of me," Blackup responded first. "I'd rather come back to the patch of forest I settled in, though I'm more than happy to follow Mr. At here. Then again, if you think I'll be the same as him or be in your most willing and obedient servitude, I won't."

"I also can't do what was offered by you," Mr. At followed up. "I still have obligations to the places I traveled. I might have accepted if I had come back earlier, but now I might make connections with others you might not approve. Also, since I did tell them I will return as soon as I could after I found who created me, I must go back now. I'm sorry, everyone, but if you want to come with me, I would appreciate that."

"I'd like to see where you're going," Blackup immediately offered.

"So where are you going, exactly?" Katze asked.

"Another planet called Planera," Mr. At answered. "That was the one I went to after you claim my memories got erased. It's fairly nearby, and the trip's only two weeks (in their time system). I told the natives I would come back."

"I've never heard of that place," Katze commented. "It could be interesting…"

"You may like it," Mr. At remarked. "They even play some of the same games as here."

Katze mulled over that idea for a bit before finally deciding. "Seeing every part of this universe (or at least as much of it as I could) has always been my dream, and from what you have said, this place could interest me, so I'll go too."

"I also observed that Fungiloid of yours," Blackup said. "Are you going to leave her behind or what?"

"I'd normally leave him here to guard the house, but since I might be spending a long time there, I'm thinking not," Katze answered.

"Shouldn't we ask Fungila for her opinion?" Mr. At suggested.

"If anyone understands her answer," Blackup responded.

"I've managed to learn some Fungiloid from him," Katze offered.

"Hold up, isn't she female?" Blackup muttered, but his question went unheeded.

They all walked outside, and Katze and Mr. At asked Fungila the question.

"Rara ru ayro ruhaha hruhru!" Fungila barked in reply.

"I'll safely assume that Fungila isn't going without his mate, whoever she is," Katze remarked when he heard the reply.

"Rara rayraw, ru raraw!" Fungila savagely growled, as if she understood every gender-related world her owner said.

"He says it so often, but I still haven't managed to learn what it means," Katze murmured as if to tell Mr. At and Blackup something.

Fungila was still shouting "Rayraw!" at the top of wherever her voice came from when another blue Fungiloid unexpectedly came. As soon as he arrived, the loud barking immediately stopped. The two of them jumped into each other and excitedly started chattering to each other.

"Must be a traditional greeting," Blackup mumbled.

After the Fungiloids' conversation, Fungila faced Katze as if to accept the offer.

"We should pack food for the trip, and we'd better recharge too," Mr. At stated as soon as everyone decided to go.

After a loquaid of packing and recharging, Katze, Fungila, and Fungilo hopped into a large orange spaceship, while Mr. At and Blackup ran ahead in order to blast off easier.

"So where is this Planera you were talking about?" Blackup asked.

"Don't worry, just follow me," Mr. At replied, then asked, "Who's going to guard the place now that Fungila's out?"

"I left another security system there," Katze cried from far away.

"Good," Mr. At muttered with relief. "We're leaving in five…four…three…two…one…"

Two jets of mist and one stream of grey wind flew off the planet of Kazera and headed into space. It would be two long weeks before they arrived at their destination. Who knows how the natives of Planera would react when they arrived?

Actually, Mog and Catch know, seeing as they have experienced it before. We'd better check on them…

Your Vocabulary and Translation Guides

Kazean:

Kaze - The other sentient species of Kazera (Katze is a member of this one)

Kazean-to-English:

Busted - Broken so the robot can no longer obtain additional stores of electricity, but is still functioning

Power-outed - Run out of power, can still be recharged

Totalled - Both busted and power-outed, beyond recovery (pretend robots are cars and you'll see what I mean)

Fungiloid:

Rara rayraw, ru raraw! - "I'm female, not male!"

Rara ru ayro ruhaha hruhru! - "I'm not going without my mate!"

Rayraw - Female