Chapter 3: Reboot

Summer passed like a fleeting dream –as it had the tendency to do— and autumn rolled in gradually. The chilly autumn rain brought with it a melancholy atmosphere, quieting the songbirds and dragging yellowing leaves to the ground. Some would say that it was the perfect time to reflect; however, the heavy pitter-patter seemed to empty my mind of my usual thoughts.

Or perhaps it was because my thoughts have been lighter lately that I've been able to relax and not think so much.

I quietly watched streams of water fall over the inn's eaves from my sheltered position atop a barrel pushed against the front wall. A few stray droplets grazed against my skin and clothes, serving as a whispered reminder of the cool afternoon.

"You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here any longer."

I turned my head slightly to find Ann sticking her head out of the entrance way. Warm light spilled out behind her onto the dark muddy ground. Amusingly, the glow did nothing to soften her disproving frown.

"I'm just enjoying the quiet… It's not that cold."

A boisterous yell beckoned from inside the inn, causing the redhead to turn her head over her shoulder to check on the dining area. With a quick look in my direction, the young woman sternly instructed, "Come back inside soon, alright?"

I smiled and nodded in her direction. Although her words were demanding, I felt warm inside.

Like the bricks to a castle, it felt like I was slowly building my life back up from where it crumbled. This time, I knew to make sure to value every single brick. It was a slow process. Some days, it seemed that I had nothing and nobody but over time, I was proved wrong again and again. Perhaps there will be a day when my thoughts won't stray there again.

And positioned at the foundation of this castle was the farmer who had unexpectedly contributed the most in turning my life around. Because of her, I now had a job, a semblance of self-worth, and looked forward to each coming day.

A sense of wonder overcame me whenever I thought about Claire. There were many people that offered their support to me and although she was a brilliant farmer, Claire's skills with people never stood out. However, Claire's personality was uniquely complementary to mine. Her words, actions and presence were steeped with a feeling of understanding and acceptance, allowing her to bait me out of my shell and tow me out of the darkness. Then, there was the special care that she seemed to show specifically towards me that warmed me when I was most vulnerable to my depressing thoughts.

At one point, I believed that it was impossible for me to be able to have meaningful relationships like everyone else no matter how hard others tried to help me or how hard I tried myself. It was just ironic that a robot would be the one to be successful in changing that.

Lately, I've found myself wondering more and more often: If only…

"Faster! Run!"

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the door bursting open as two children darted out of the inn. Small, nimble feet easily maneuvered a sharp turn, leading to two tiny, out of breath individuals taking refuge beside me in the shadow of the barrel.

The scenario inspired a feeling of déjà vu. Smiling, I kept my gaze on the slick cobblestone road in front of me and casually said, "Might I ask what you're doing?"

"We're… spying," Stu quietly answered, inhaling deeply. The sound of squelching mud and shuffling cloth could be heard as he and his companion caught their breaths settled into a more comfortable position.

I kept an ear open for any unusual sounds coming from within the inn as I replied, "Oh? The robot isn't in the inn."

"We're not worried about the robot today. It's the mad scientist."

The statement piqued my interest. I didn't hear any loud commotions over the usual low conversation from beyond the walls so it seemed that the two children did not inspire the newest occupant of the inn to give chase. I turned to look down at May and Stu and found two pairs of wide, innocent eyes blinking back at me.

I rubbed by neck and sighed. I wasn't sure how their new target would respond to being spied on, especially since scientists could be secretive. Regretfully, it seemed like I was going to have to burst their bubble again. "He seems like an ordinary scientist to me."

"Nuh-uh. He's a mad scientist. We overhead him muttering about how he was super close to finishing his grand experiment! Something the world has never seen before!"

"We really want to see what it is," May said excitedly.

"That sounds like he wants to keep his experiment a secret. You shouldn't spy on him," I reasoned.

"If that was the case, he wouldn't be muttering about it in the open!" Stu crossed his arms over his chest. Although his lips were pressed tightly together into a thin line, I noticed his shaky stance. May hovered timidly beside Stu but nodded encouragingly at his statement.

I held up my hands placatingly and backtracked, feeling like a villainous monster. Despite yielding, an uneasy feeling still tugged at me. "… Just keep your actions in mind, alright? And if he asks you to stop, you have to listen."

The two children grinned giddily. Their expressions caught me by surprise as I wasn't aware that my approval meant that much to them –they didn't require it to do what they wanted. I closed my eyes as I wondered when that had happened.

"He doesn't have robot sensors so we'll be fine," Stu proclaimed confidently. The child's expression quickly morphed into dismay as a thought struck him. "Ah! We should go home now!"

"We'll see you tomorrow at the festival," May said politely before running hurriedly after Stu.

I raised my hand in a dazed wave, still surprised to find that I had more people in this town that cared for me. It seemed that I wouldn't be leaving any time soon… and I didn't mind the thought. I took in a large breath, feeling refreshed as my lungs expanded. The air was beginning to smell like home.

I never understood the draw of gambling so I wasn't particularly interested in this festival, although, like all other festivals, it was a good opportunity to interact with the other villagers. Unfortunately, approaching others felt doubly difficult as compared to a normal day because individuals tended to stick close to their social group during festivals. After a short conversation with Ann and Doug, I ended up standing by myself at the side of the plaza, observing those around me.

I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck. There were more productive things I could have done with my day. Admittedly, watching Claire win bet after bet was quite intriguing.

A quick survey around the plaza revealed that I was not the only one with eyes on Claire as the blonde stared thoughtfully at the Daily Racing Form. She had become renown in the village for being a statistical and mathematical genius. Considering that she had picked all the winning horses in the Spring Horse Race, the consensus seemed to be that there was no harm in waiting to see what her decision was.

"Cliff!"

I stumbled back a few steps as something slammed into my legs, nearly sending me into the hedge bushes lining the plaza. Gripping the ledge of the stone planter behind me, I steadied myself and gazed down at the breathless child.

Large panicked eyes met mine, alongside tiny hands which gripped anxiously at the fabric of my pants. "You have to take Claire and run now!"

"W-what?" I was confused but the fear in May's eyes quickly flooded me with panic. I clenched tightly onto my calm composure, years of experience dealing with my younger sister taking over. Crouching down, I gingerly held onto her shoulders. "What do you mean?"

"The mad scientist knows about Claire!" The words tumbled out of May's mouth, making my heart skip a beat. Her hands tugged and twisted the hem of her dress. "We were spying on the mad scientist and heard him saying that he wanted to take Claire apart for science!"

I held back an exclamation, briefly losing my composure. Were there any rules regarding taking apart robots? They weren't human but that didn't mean it was alright to do whatever you wanted to them. However, I knew that didn't matter to some people. Since discovering the farmer's secret, I had anticipated something like this happening eventually.

"We can't let that happen!" May cried. Her small form trembled but she looked determinedly at me, making me wonder where she drew her resolve from. "He's heading for the plaza right now with a strange machine. Stu and I are going to distract him but you have to get Claire out of here."

My concern immediately increased, along with the pounding of my heart. "That doesn't sound safe."

"There's no time!" May pushed urgently at my arm. "He doesn't know about us and we're good at making distractions. Just… please keep her safe."

I turned from May to Claire, harshly aware of my surroundings. The flat plaza provided a clear view of all its occupants, despite hosting most of the villagers today. With her bright blonde hair, Claire was easy to pick out. There wasn't enough time to come up with a different plan. The scientist had no intent on harming May or Stu, while Claire was in imminent danger.

"Don't do anything dangerous, alright?"

After getting a nod from May, I pushed off against the ground and ran towards Claire. The blonde's attention quickly shifted to me and her light expression evaporated.

"Claire, please come with me." My voice was low as I bent down to whisper into her ear.

The blonde frowned, looking reluctant but didn't resist when I took her hand and began leading her out the south entrance of the plaza at a brisk pace. The villagers' gazes followed us but we were not questioned or stopped.

"I was quite confident I would win that bet too," Claire sighed, regretfully looking over her shoulder once we walked behind the hedge bushes.

"I'm sorry…" A touch of guilt nagged at me but I understood what the priority was in this situation. "Stu and May brought to my attention that a guest at the inn may have malicious intentions towards you."

The blonde was silent as she processed the new information.

I kept my attention on the path ahead. If we proceeded straight ahead, we would end up at Claire's farm, which was too obvious if someone was hunting for the farmer. I turned left towards the direction of the forest, tugging a surprised Claire behind me.

Our steps slowed as shouts began arising from the direction of the plaza. I wondered what stunt Stu ad May had pulled to create such a commotion. The slight pull on my hand made me stop on the wooden bridge connecting the town to the forest. Towering trees stretched out before us, beckoning us to safety.

"It doesn't feel right leaving them behind," Claire said quietly.

Stu and May's stunts were harmless but the ruckus coming from the plaza was larger than expected. I turned back to look at the farmer and then in the direction of the plaza. She was right. "I'll go back and check on them but… What is that?"

The sound of thumping hooves rang through the air as a brown horse thundered wildly towards us.

"How…?" No, there wasn't time to figure out how this happened. With water on both sides and a stampeding horse on our tails, the only option was forward. I pulled Claire along the bridge. The thumping of my heart drowned everything but the sound of hooves against the ground, which grew louder as the distance between us and the horse shortened.

Suddenly, Claire slammed against my side, pushing me off the path. I braced myself but my breath was still knocked out of me as I slammed into the ground, sending dry grass scattering in the air. I laid in stunned silence, vaguely aware of the fading sound of hooves.

I coughed, clearing any dust and dirt out of my nose. I raised my head and breathed in deeply before pushing myself up off the ground. "Claire?"

I turned behind me and saw Claire lying on her side a few feet away.

"Claire!"

I scrambled over to her, wincing slightly as I bent over her still form. My hands hovered over her body, afraid that I might aggravate any unseen injuries if I moved her.

My gaze strayed to the cut along her cheek –probably a result of brushing against a twig when she fell. I hesitatingly reached down to wipe the ruby drop of blood seeping from the cut, smearing the liquid across her cheek. A shiver crawled up my spine. My gaze drifted down to the scraped palms of her hands, noting the varying depths of damage on the different layers of skin. Confusion struck me at first as I looked over the woman, followed by slow setting realization.

"Claire…"

"I'm okay…" Claire murmured, slowly opening an eye.

Relief crashed down on me like a giant wave. My vision blurred as my eyes began to sting with tears.

Following my gaze, Claire looked at the condition of her hands and groaned. "Now I'm going to have to order a new skin and some blood to restore this body."

I bit back a laugh. "I'm surprised you can joke at a time like this."

The blonde maneuvered herself into a sitting position and smiled brightly at me. "But your reactions are so amusing."

Her words made my heart swell for a variety of reasons. Laughing, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and drew her into a hug. The faint scent of cinnamon and apples warmed my heart. "I'm glad."

"We're really sorry," May repeated, gazing down at her lap.

"We didn't think releasing my toad collection would get a horse spooked," Stu said apologetically.

Knowing that their intentions were good and that their families had already lectured them, I smiled comfortingly. "Don't worry about it. I'm perfectly fine now."

Their gazes lingered on the bandages wrapped around my forearm so I moved my arms off the table and I tried to divert their attention. "I wonder what Claire and Daryl are talking about."

I gazed across the inn to where the scientist and farmer were engaged in deep conversation. I didn't know what they were discussing but the low hum of conversation in the inn was occasionally punctuated by excited taps as Daryl entered data into his laptop. They've been working for a while too –the ice in the near-empty drinks the two had ordered had long since melted.

"You're awfully worried about Claire," Stu noted. He pressed his fingertips together and grinned knowingly.

I felt my face heat up. "Well, I had thought Daryl was going to dissemble Claire so seeing them together puts me on edge… even though the original assumptions no longer apply."

"It doesn't look like the only reason."

I wasn't sure how to respond to being teased by a child. Ignoring the giggles coming from May, I downed my glass of water to cool the heat in my face. The round table that was large enough to comfortably seat a party of four suddenly felt too small. Placing the glass on the table, I sighed.

Over the past season, there were times when I had wished the farmer was human but had never thought much further than that. And yet, now that I knew Claire was a human, I didn't know what to do.

"Thanks for waiting."

Claire's voice drew me out of my thoughts. Looking up, I was surprised to see that she had finished her business with Daryl.

The blonde stretched her arms before taking the remaining seat beside me. "That was a long discussion."

"So how did the 'brain-picking' go?" Stu excitedly asked while sitting on the edge of his seat. Now that he knew that brain-picking did not involve the actual removal of a brain, he was eager to show off his new vocabulary.

"He heard about my success in the Spring Horse Race so he wanted to know the factors that I considered when picking out winners."

The excited smile on Stu's face was quickly replaced by a dismayed frown. "Huh? So he's trying to invent something for horse racing? That doesn't sound like a great invention." The young boy flopped back down into his seat. "He made it sound much grander."

Claire smiled. "Actually, he's trying to create a machine that collects statistics on animals and monitors their health. It could be groundbreaking for the industry if he succeeds."

May's and Stu's eyes lit up at the same time.

With a wide grin, Stu asked, "So you're saying he's making an actual robot?"

I listened as the three chattered excitedly. With this news, the children were going to recover easily from the disappointment of Claire not being an actual robot. Already, Stu and May were proposing what additional skills the robot should have. The remainder of the afternoon quickly slipped by.

After Stu and May had left to return home, I found myself walking Claire back to her farm. The sun was slowly sinking behind the mountains overhead, casting a mellow atmosphere over the town as everyone winded down for the day. The breeze was gentle but carried a forewarning chill. This was going to be one of the last temperate days of the year. The same thought seemed to be on Claire's mind as her pace was more leisurely than usual.

Clearing my throat, I awkwardly broke the comfortable silence between us. "I have a confession to make."

My companion turned to me and tilted her head.

My face heated up in embarrassment as I admitted, "For the longest time, I thought that you were a robot." My confession was met with silence. Afraid to look over at my companion, I stared at the ground with my heart pounding loudly in my chest.

We walked a few more steps before Claire spoke. "At first, I wasn't sure but, over time, I realized that you were serious about my joke. I'm sorry. I should have come clean at that point but wasn't sure how to tell you..." The blonde sounded really mortified as she said the last part.

I felt a mixture of relief, surprise, and amusement. The amusement quickly overpowered all the other emotions. I shook my head and smiled, imagining Claire trying to figure out how to tell a grown man that she wasn't a robot. "We did have a lot of fun when I assumed that you were a robot."

Claire crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm fun even when people don't think that I'm a robot." Despite her offended tone of voice, Claire's expression was less confident.

I understood what she was worried about but disagreed with the idea that her being a robot was a large part of our relationship. Admittedly, it was what moved me to approach her but I did not become her friend because she was a robot. "You are still just as fun. And I hope to spend many more fun days with you."

"Me too." Claire said softly.

The atmosphere between us shifted, becoming more intimate. Thoughts of the future and regrets from the past swirled in my head, along with the pressure to decide. The words were on the tip of my tongue but I could not say them.

Claire was the first to break the silence. "I really do regret not clarifying sooner. Despite your assurances that things are the same, I can see hesitation in your actions and words."

My heart sped up and worry filled me. "I-it's not that. I just…" I couldn't allow Claire to misunderstand. I inhaled deeply and turned to look at the blonde. "Long ago, I left home to find myself. I did not achieve enlightenment and the trip ended in absolute failure. I am the same floundering person I was back then. I over analyze things and want to explore every angle before making a decision because… I'm afraid that I will make the wrong choice."

Claire listened carefully and I wondered if she knew what I was trying to convey. I wasn't sure myself. My incomplete thoughts were just slipping out of me.

"But I know that sometimes, taking too long to decide is the wrong choice as well." I momentarily closed my eyes. My heart ached, reaching for something that was no longer in my grasp. I had promised myself not to repeat that mistake again. "What I do know is that to me, you are the sun: you chase away the dark and warm the heart that I thought was frozen. I think about you when you're away, I look forward to seeing you each day, I enjoy listening to your opinions, and I'm always learning how to be a better person when I'm with you."

"The answer seems pretty clear to me," the blonde said lightly. Claire stopped and turned to me with a firm gaze. "Robots do not hesitate when deciding. They take in inputs and formulate a response."

Strong hands gripped my shoulder, pulling me close. Leaning up, Claire pressed her forehead against mine and looked searchingly into my eyes. I tried to pull back at the surprisingly warm contact but the farmer's grip was firm. I had nowhere to run or hide. Her warm breath brushed against my flushed skin.

"Claire…" This close to her, it was easy to recognize the warm gentleness and deep affection she felt towards me reflected in her eyes. The echoed feelings in my heart resonated as I drowned in her gaze.

The blonde's voice was softer than usual when she spoke. "To me, you are like the summer sky: you are accepting no matter what I do or say, you show me the vastness of the world, and comfort me with warmth when I am tired."

My heart swelled upon hearing her words –so much that I thought it would burst. The scene before me felt like a long sought out dream that I never thought would materialize. Yet, as I recalled the moments leading up to this, the conclusion seemed natural. My unspoken but desired choice seemed natural. Despite the heat muddling my mind, I had a clear idea of what I wanted and will work arduously to keep.

"Do you have your answer?" Claire whispered.

I drew Claire to my chest with an iron tight grip. Despite her hardy exterior, the farmer was accommodatingly soft and warm. Smiling, I buried my nose into her golden hair and breathed in the familiar scent of apples. With unrestrained happiness, I answered, "I do."