Chapter 7: Side Mission
Sebastian was not an android of many words. His father didn't mind. Hatchet was happy enough having a son. Even if said son was ten times stronger, faster, and smarter than him.
Sebastian was an Scanner Model, rebuilt by his father. He had no memories of life before. Most likely though he had been one of countless S-types who's stumbled onto some data they shouldn't had, and been deleted by an E-type.
He didn't mind. He was content. Living with his father had been a blessing. Being free was joyful. Even if they had to hide and skulk in the ruins, they'd manage to make a life.
Now, he was living with others. And a part of him he had not known existed, the part that craved companionship, was sated when he joined this motley 'family.'
He had been afraid when he'd sensed the YoRHa android approaching. Only when she had drawn closer did he recognize her as one of the two who had not only helped father build him, but they had also allowed them to live when they discovered what Hatchet had done with the parts they'd brought.
He liked 2B and 9S for that. And when the former came to them, all but begging for help? He'd urged father to accept their deal. Strange and mysterious it may have been, but something within him, the S-type part that loved discovering things, wanted to know what she'd wanted with the machine she'd commissioned.
He did not regret it at all. Father might, seeing as he constantly complained about one of the other new members, a Resistance gynoid named Jackass, but this was an amazing opportunity! Not only a live, honest-to-god human, but a Replicant mage-skeleton-robot-thing as well!
So much to learn! So much to discover!
And one of those things had been dealing with a human infant.
Don't get him wrong, Sebastian loved the human as only an Android could. Not to mention odd feelings of protectiveness welled up inside him whenever he held that fragile form.
But caring for little Alexander was exhausting work! There was waste disposal, the worst aspect of organic beings. Then there was food, which Alexander loved to play with. Emil had to make odd noises, like that of a motor, to convince the baby to eat the mushed goo masquerading as food. It got everywhere!
Then, the crying. Oh, how he wailed! That was perhaps the worst, because it took hours to settle him down. Sebastian wished that A2 would return soon. She was the only one of their 'family' that could soothe Alexander's tantrums easily.
At least POD 153 was helpful. The mechanical assistant's manipulator claws were surprisingly dexterous, and able to quickly change Alexander's diapers. That was alright with the Scouter and Emil. The former was squeamish about touching anything that had once been pureed carrots and peas, and the latter had no real hands to perform delicate diaper-changing operations.
Oh, and Jackass was there, too. She didn't do much, preferring to lock herself in her room.
At first, she had been loud, and tried to take unauthorized 'samples' from Alexander. She was swiftly rebuffed.
Oddly, after six failed attempts she had relented, choosing instead to mutter insults towards Hatchet for rebuilding the black-haired S-type.
Emil had mentioned the word 'tsundere' once in a joking manner towards her, and promptly had his head launched several feet away thanks to a vicious roundhouse kick courtesy of the mad scientist.
Sebastian was annoyed that neither of them would explain what that word meant to him. He pouted. It did nothing expect cause the two 'adults' to coo and call him cute.
A huff nearly escaped the shouta-bot. He was not cute!
Still, Sebastian wouldn't trade these experiences for anything in the world.
Right now, though, he was crouched in the bushes near the hideout, peering at a furry four-legged creature as it grazed. He had spotted it during patrol, and called it in. The ancient cyber-skull had been extremely excited.
"I found the target, Emil," Sebastian said, speaking into the communication bead in his ear. It was primitive compared to the Sensor-Blinds or a POD, but it was all they had to talk back and forth with.
"Excellent! Now, be very careful. They can be rather aggressive if provoked," the Skull-Boy warned. "Offer him the tasty carrot nice and slow."
Sebastian nodded, even though Emil would not see it, and rose slowly, a fat, juicy carrot held in front of him.
The horned ungulate looked up warily at the android as it appeared. Sensing no danger, it snorted and went back to chewing at the grass.
"It is so small. Are you certain about this, Emil?"
"Of course I am, Sebastian! Goats are one of the most useful animals! Their milk is healthy enough even for a human baby to drink, and while the nutrient soup your father and Jackass have cooked up is good and all, sometimes you need the real stuff," Emil explained.
The goat looked up again and let out a warning screech as he started to approach. He froze, still holding the carrot.
"It sounds angry."
"I would imagine she's trying to warn you off," Emil said. "Don't worry, though! Follow my instructions, and give her the carrot!"
Sebastian gulped, and stepped closer. The goat tensed, ready to bolt, but sniffed the air and locked onto the carrot in his hands. It ambled over, cautiously sniffing the food and the android, before biting the offered vegetable.
It chewed, and as it did so Sebastian reached down and cautiously pet the top of its head. It froze, but sensing no malice, allow the android to continue the petting.
"Soft," he murmured in awe.
"Yup, goats are pretty great," Emil agreed. "I remember my friends… the village they lived in had goats as well… I liked to pet them… with her…"
The being trailed off, lost to its shattered memories.
After a bit of melancholy silence on both ends, Sebastian held out another carrot, but stepped back as he did so. The goat bleated in annoyance, but started to follow the young android.
It took five more carrots, two radishes and a tin can to lure the goat back to the hideout. By that time, she had been named by Emil and Sebastian. Chompy was hardly the most dignified of names, but the goat could care less as long as she was fed tasty things.
"We did it!" Emil crowed, flinging his arms into the air at their success! Baby Alexander, seated on the couch, emulated him, tossing his pudgy fists up and shouting babbling nonsense. Sebastian also raised his fist into the air, but much more sedately.
"We'll have to build a pen for her tomorrow," Sebastian said, reaching down and petting Chompy as she wandered around the base.
"Yeah, we'll do that. Should have some scrap wire and wooden posts lying around to make a fence of sorts," Emil agreed. The goat avoided him, like all animals did, and he tried to not let the hurt show.
Chompy nosed around the area, and after a bit of exploring approached the baby. Sebastian tensed, ready to leap in to protect the child, but sighed in relief when it nuzzled the infant instead. She seemed to take a liking to the baby human.
Alexander giggled and pet the goat as its nose nudged his belly. It bleated softly, and rubbed her head against him. He wiggled around cheerfully. The goat than rose up and hopped onto the couch before laying her head in Alexander's lap protectively.
"Good thing you spotted her when you were out on patrol yesterday," Emil praised the boyish android. "I was surprised to hear that there were still goats around the place. Haven't seen many of them since the alien invasion. Guess they're returning to the area now that there's less fighting."
"I was surprised as well. When I first saw it, I thought it was a hideously deformed baby moose," Sebastian chuckled.
"Yeah, I can see why," Emil snickered. "Though to be fair, what with the damaged ecosystem and all, that there are still boars and moose around is pretty miraculous when you think about it."
"And foxes and wolves. Can't forget those," Sebastian reminded.
"Of course not! Prey has to have a predator, or there'd be so many boar and moose you'd have to wade through them all!" Emil pointed out. He then tilted his head. "I wonder if those wolves are actually descendants of feral dogs that survived the collapse, and they just retro-evolved to better suit the new, wild world."
"I don't think anyone really cares," Sebastian pointed out bluntly, and the skull-head-boy sighed in depressed agreement.
"Yeah, you're right. Sometimes it's hard to come to grips with the apocalypse, even if I lived through several of them already," he said sadly.
"Can you imagine the looks on their faces when they walk in a see a goat?" Sebastian asked, a smirk forming on his face as he tried to ease the mood. Emil laughed.
"Ha! Yeah, that would be a great prank… actually, you want to help me with that?"
Sebastian grinned. He idly wondered if this playful streak was his own, or a creation of his rebuilding. He supposed it didn't matter as he discussed showing off the fruits of their labor to the other androids when they returned with Emil.
He was having fun. He wondered if this was what families were like. He hoped so. This made him feel 'human' inside, and he did not want the happy-tingly feelings to stop.