It was just a little step.
That was all that that blue-tinted wench-bot needed. Just ten seconds of vulnerability before it was all over.
Plankton had won. And for the first time since her very first bootup, she did not feel happy.
In fact, she felt nothing. Which, in any other case, would just be pure logic, as robots are typically not designed with hearts and feelings in mind, but…this time, the "nothing" she felt was different.
The "nothing" she felt was nowhere close to her standard "uncaring" way of emoting. This time, the "nothing" felt purely empty.
She had lost her husband, her old job, what was practically her home…to that THING in blue gloss. And what happened at the Krusty Krab that afternoon just made it clear as day.
Plankton wanted nothing to do with her anymore.
"…Hang on, Mr. Krabs, I think she's waking up!"
SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs helped Karen stand as she rebooted. SpongeBob's voice was the first she heard as she woke up. "Karen, are you okay?"
"What part of me feels 'okay' after THAT display?" Karen hung her head. "You saw what I did - I crushed the only man that ever mattered in my life!" She turned back to the restaurant windows, looking forlornly at the Chum Bucket. "That was all she needed. Just a small miscalculation on my part." Leaning forward, she rested her head on the window. "If I could feel sick right now, I would."
SpongeBob and Eugene turned to see what Karen was seeing - silhouettes of Plankton and Karen 2 in the Chum Bucket door entrance window, as she had before. Only this time, Karen 2 was tending to Plankton's accidental wounds.
"There, there, my little man." Karen 2's voice could be heard all the way across the street. "That obsolete bucket of nuts and bolts won't hurt you again."
Karen Classic looked at the scene for a little while before she spoke. "Did you see the way he looked at me?" She hung her head once more.
SpongeBob could not help feeling sympathy for the robot. He sighed. "I'm so sorry, Karen," he finally said. "I thought Plankton would change."
"Oh, believe me, he has," Karen said bitterly, not taking her screen off the Chum Bucket. "He's changed so much that I hardly even recognize the little gnat anymore." She turned for the double doors. "At this point, I don't even know why I bothered trying to win him back."
"Huh?" SpongeBob, surprised to see Karen exiting the restaurant, followed her out. "Karen, hang on!" Eugene, however, had other things on his mind. "Waitaminute! I never got me revenue outta the deal!"
"Where're ya goin'?" SpongeBob finally caught up with the wandering robot. "The Krusty Krab's right back there!"
"The Krusty Krab isn't a home, SpongeBob," Karen shot back. "All I'm reminded of when I look through those windows is the life I used to have. And right now, I'm not sure my memory banks can take another replay of any of it."
"Where're ya gonna go?" SpongeBob asked sadly.
Karen sighed. "I don't know, SpongeBob. I suppose maybe I'll find a good place somewhere over at the dump. It's probably what Plankton would've wanted for me."
SpongeBob stammered in shock, sprinting right in front of Karen before she could go any further. "Wait!" He tried thinking of the right words to say to her on the spot. "The dump is absolutely NO place to go for a state-of-the art piece o' work like yourself! If you ask me, Plankton made a BIG mistake throwing you out! Why, I've never seen such beauty gotten out of something so, er…retro and simplistic!"
Karen's screen manifested a blushing face. "Ohhh, you're just saying all this to make me feel better."
"No, I mean it! A lot of people these days would LOVE to have a computer like you around!" SpongeBob put his arm around Karen's stand. "In fact, I'm kinda lookin' for a new computer myself! Gary always likes to chew through the wires on my old ones."
Karen was taken aback by this sudden display of kindness. She always knew the sponge was a gentle soul, but she never quite experienced it for herself until now. "You'd open up your home to ME? After everything I've done to you and Krabs over the years?"
"Sure!" SpongeBob did not hesitate to answer. "Whatever helps warm that cold exterior of yours." He giggled lightly at that.
Karen paused for a brief moment. "Thank you, SpongeBob."
"There ya go!" SpongeBob had set up a little desk space in the living room for Karen to rest her head on. It was far from her original wall form at the Chum Bucket, but it would have to do.
"Meow?" As if on cue, Gary slithered his way over to Karen, sniffing and inspecting her. Seeing this, SpongeBob gave Gary a warning. "Gary, be gentle with Karen. She's been going through a lot lately, and you chewing through her wires won't help." He picked up Gary and turned him away from Karen for safety. "Mind your wandering eye, you little mollusk." Giggling, he took his pet snail up to his room to prepare him for bed.
Witnessing all this gave Karen a bit of a new perspective. She had never been exposed to this much outward kindness and warmth before in her life, not even with Plankton as her husband at the time. If she had tear ducts, they would likely be overflowing at this point.
Switching over to her desktop, Karen opened up the Recycle Bin, showing the icon of Plankton from before.
Without a second thought, she emptied the Recycle Bin completely.
