Of Spare Parts (and their echoes)
[d]ive
Once in a while, her vision blurs, her body trembles, and her creaking knees give way under her. She tumbles, and he catches her, immediately sending out orders to the Pods by their side to run diagnostics upon her.
Her eyes flash red, and he initiates a hacking protocol he knows too well.
The logic virus forever remains somewhere in her code. It's too minute to be caught by his scans, and even when he dedicates days to diving into her subconscious protocols to find it, it somehow vanishes in binary.
He cries, just a little, as he holds her. She wipes his tears as she awakens, and they continue on.