"Are you happy?"
Nos-4-a2 lifted his gaze to the sky. The pristine expanse was laden with thick, white clouds drifting lazily toward the eastern horizon. His first impulse was to say yes. Really, how could he complain? He was free from evil, and the only downside of serving his life sentence on Earth were the periodic evaluations.
What kept his speakers from issuing that affirmative syllable?
Maybe, Nos reasoned, he just wasn't allowed to be that comfortable yet. That didn't surprise him when he thought of all the atrocities he'd committed. He knew there were many robots who had never been found or were too damaged for revival, yet here he was, lying in a hammock next to the greatest probe in the galaxy.
After a while, he looked back down at her. She wasn't expectant; there was no judgement in her expression. She raised her hand to trace the side of his face, sending warmth through every wire in his being. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"You make me happy."