Chapter: 6 Scars

Sari

In the city of Detroit, in the year 2023, a young 12 year old girl with striking Indian heritage and vibrant red hair done in pigtails darted through the dimly lit streets, the cover of darkness providing her with a shroud of concealment. She wore an orange sundress underneath a crisp white coat that billowed slightly in the wind as she ran. Her face displayed a mix of frustration and determination, her eyes constantly flicking back to check if she was being pursued.

With a deep, exasperated sigh, the girl suddenly veered into a narrow alleyway, her small form pressing against the cool brick wall of a building in an attempt to blend into the shadows. Her eyes shut tightly, and she directed her gaze upwards to the night sky, a displeased expression etched across her face.

Behind her, she heard soft, metallic thuds approaching, and when she opened her eyes, they met the sight of a lanky humanoid robot. Its proportions seemed almost comically exaggerated, and its head consisted of a monitor-like screen displaying various expressions and messages. In a calm, emotionless AI voice, the robot addressed the girl.

"Sari, you are aware that you are not permitted to leave the tower without Professor Sumdac's explicit permission," it stated.

Sari's shoulders drooped, and she let out a weary groan. "Just go away, Tutor-bot. I'm tired of being cooped up in the lab," she protested, but her tone held more of exasperation than defiance. She began to move again, not in a full sprint this time, but in a light jog, allowing the Tutor-bot to easily match her pace.

"I want to go somewhere, do something," Sari continued, her desire for adventure evident in her voice.

The monitor on the Tutor-bot's head displayed a prominent red X, and it played a recorded voice message of a man with a distinct Indian accent. "No, Sari. I don't want you going to any public places where I'm not," the recording of her father's voice sternly advised.

Sari came to a halt in her jog, a thoughtful expression washing over her face. After a moment of contemplation, her eyes seemed to light up with an idea. She snapped her fingers in realization.

"Dad doesn't want me to go to any public places," she mused aloud, "but what if I went to a private place he owns other than the tower?"

The Tutor-bot's monitor, which had displayed a loading screen a moment ago, suddenly transformed into a green checkmark, indicating its approval of her plan.

The girl couldn't help but do a quick fist pump in excitement, feeling like she'd outsmarted the situation. She turned her attention back to the Tutor-bot's screen, determined to make the most of her newfound freedom.

"Alright, Tutor-bot, show me all of Dad's nearby properties," Sari instructed. The Tutor-bot's monitor transformed into a map of Detroit, dotted with several locations indicating her father's properties.

Sari's finger moved toward the closest dot on the map. "Okay, I think we'll go for this one," she declared, her eyes focused on the screen. "It's a junkyard my dad bought five years ago."

Sari began jogging with the Tutor-bot keeping easy pace.

The pair arrived at the main gate of the junkyard, and Sari gazed at the imposing walls lined with barbed wire. Beyond the gates, towers of stacked cars loomed in the darkness. Sari walked up to the control panel lock and asked, "What's the passcode for the gate, Tutor-bot?"

The Tutor-bot's screen displayed a big red X, and it replied in its emotionless voice, "Sari, you know Professor Sumdac would not approve of entering a dangerous junkyard."

Sari let out an exasperated sigh. "Ugh, then why did you want to come here? Seriously, Dad wouldn't mind, as long as no one else is here. He doesn't care, so long as I'm in the lab by 12 PM."

The Tutor-bot's screen displayed another loading screen before a green checkmark appeared along with a short string of numbers. Sari's face lit up with a triumphant smile as she quickly inputted the code. "Thank you," she said smugly. The control panel emitted a brief alarm before the massive gate started to open.

Sari and the robot stepped into the junkyard, and an uncomfortable sense of desolation washed over them. It felt eerily similar to walking into a graveyard. The towering stacks of cars swayed and creaked in the wind, creating an unsettling symphony of metal. The cracked pavement that made up the ground was littered with broken glass, rusty scraps, and discarded beer cans.

Large automated cranes worked tirelessly, carrying beyond-repair cars to their final destination in the incinerators. The whir of their wires and the creaks of their gears echoed hauntingly throughout the junkyard. As these vehicles met their fiery end, the roar of the incinerators filled

the air, creating massive plumes of smoke and sparks that cast an unnerving orange glow across the desolate landscape.

Sari took a trembling breath as she confronted the eerie sight of the grim junkyard. She swallowed hard, steeling herself for what lay ahead, with the Tutor-bot faithfully following her every move, mirroring her pace as they ventured deeper into the abyssal landscape. Together, they navigated their way through the sprawling vehicle graveyard, skillfully evading automated systems and security drones along their path.

As they continued their exploration, they came across a sprawling and chaotic hill of discarded cars. Sari couldn't help but express her observations, saying, "Wow, this must be where they put the ones that are fixable." Her curiosity got the better of her, and she walked up to the pile and started to climb onto one of the cars, scaling the haphazard heap.

In response, the Tutor-bot's monitor displayed a red X, and it sounded a brief alarm. With its usual emotionless tone, it cautioned Sari, "Sari, you know your father would not approve of you climbing on cars. There's a risk of falling and injuring yourself. Statistics show that 1 out of every 5 falls results in serious injury." Sari looked down at the Tutor-bot with an unimpressed look. "Y'know, if my father was so smart why didn't he program you with a mute function."

Sari peered down from her perch and spotted a discarded soda can on the hood of the car she was climbing. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she couldn't resist the urge to playfully tease the Tutor-bot. With a swift motion, she pulled her leg back and kicked the can directly at the robot's monitor. The can struck its screen with a satisfying thud, causing the Tutor-bot's head to jerk backward.

"Goooooaaaalll!" Sari shouted. The Tutor-bot's screen refreshed, displaying yet another red X. "Sari, your father would not appro-" it started to say before being interrupted once more as another soda can struck it squarely in the face.

"Yea! I'm two for two, baby!" Sari exclaimed with a triumphant cheer, celebrating her successful shots with a victory dance.

Before the droning robot could repeat its reprimand, the pile of cars shuddered and groaned ominously. "Uh oh," came Sari's only reply as she leaped off, narrowly avoiding being crushed as the car pile collapsed right on top of the Tutor-bot. One of the dilapidated jalopies crashed down, crushing the poor robot's body and popping its monitor head right off. The severed head careened through the air and landed with a thud right before Sari, its screen glitching with a red X still plastered on it.

"Huh, I guess you were right, 'Professor,' the junkyard is dangerous," she mocked the monitor before giving the side of the Tutor-bot's head a kick.

Sari glanced around the chaotic scene, a mix of adrenaline and amusement coursing through her veins. She couldn't help but smirk at the irony of the situation – her attempt to defy the rules had resulted in the destruction of her robotic companion.

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Sari stepped closer to the fallen Tutor-bot's head. She crouched down, inspecting it with a mixture of curiosity and mischief. Despite her mocking tone, a pang of guilt tugged at her conscience. After all, the Tutor-bot had only been following its programming, trying to keep her safe.

But any remorse was quickly overshadowed by Sari's sense of adventure. She reached out and picked up the severed head, holding it up to examine the damage. The monitor screen flickered erratically, casting a surreal glow on Sari's face as she studied it.

"Well, looks like you won't be bothering me anymore," she said with a smirk, her voice tinged with a hint of satisfaction. Without further hesitation, she tossed the head aside.

As Sari started to walk away, a sudden sense of unease gripped her. A cold sweat formed on her skin, and her heart began to race erratically. She couldn't shake the feeling of impending dread that washed over her. Her hands became clammy, and her skin prickled with goosebumps as if an unseen force whispered warnings in her ear.

With a hesitant step backward, Sari turned to glance over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the debris-strewn landscape for any sign of danger. And there, at the base of the former car pile, she spotted it – unearthed like a long-lost treasure amidst the wreckage – a beat-up yellow 1967 Volkswagen Beetle.

Then, almost as suddenly as it came, Sari's unease faded. She walked over to the Beetle with a quizzical look, kneeling down once before it to give it a thorough examination. The vintage car had certainly seen better days; it wasn't missing anything that Sari could see, but it looked like it had driven through hell.

For starters, it was riddled with dents and holes, loads of them. The front bumper looked like it had gotten into a game of chicken and lost. The roof was dented in so much the car looked almost flat. The glass was cracked, the tires were flat, paint faded, rust ridden. The classic car looked more like a classic wreck.

"Man, looks like someone gave you the business," Sari remarked with a sympathetic smile, her hand resting gently on the hood of the battered Beetle.

Her moment with the vintage car was abruptly interrupted by the distant sound of Sumdac patrol drone blades approaching. "Crud! Time to go!" Sari exclaimed, a sense of urgency coursing through her veins as she swiftly rose to her feet and dashed towards the entrance of the junkyard.

As Sari sprinted away, her attention fixed on escaping the approaching patrol drones, she remained unaware of the peculiar phenomenon unfolding behind her. Unbeknownst to her, where her hand had rested on the Beetle's hood, a glowing blue handprint remained imprinted. Inexplicably, the blue energy began to disperse, tracing intricate wire-like patterns across the surface of the car.

As the energy extended across the vehicle, a remarkable transformation occurred. Some of the dents and deformities that marred the Beetle's exterior began to shift and push out, as if by some unseen force. The jalopy seemed to respond to the mysterious energy coursing through it, gradually restoring its once dilapidated form to a semblance of its former glory.

Sari returned home in the early hours of the morning, employing a bit of charm to persuade the lobby desk bot to look the other way, promising her father would provide the overworked machine with a much-needed oil change. Sneaking along the gleaming corridors of Sumdac Tower, she moved cautiously, her steps almost silent against the polished metal floors illuminated by a soft, low-watt glow.

Finally reaching her door, she quietly slid it open and began to step inside, only to collide with an unexpected obstacle blocking the her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Sari's gaze slowly traveled upward, meeting the stern countenance of her father. Professor Isaac Sumdac, a stout and slightly rotund Indian man, towered over her, his expression a mixture of disappointment and concern. He was clad in his usual attire: a crisp, buttoned-up white lab coat paired with oversized black rubber gloves. His frown accentuated the bushiness of his black mustache, which sat just above his lips, and his hair, spiked upwards, bore streaks of white amidst the dark strands.

Sari had to think fast. "Oh! Uhhhhh… Hi, Dad. I was just getting a cup of water before going back to bed," she improvised, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness. Professor Sumdac's brow raised curiously, though his mouth retained its stern expression, his eyes betraying a glint of amusement.

"Oh really? And where is this 'cup of water' then?" Sumdac questioned, his tone skeptical. "Um, uh. OH! I was so thirsty I drank it in the kitchen and put the cup away," Sari responded quickly, her mind racing to concoct a believable excuse. The Professor sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation before responding. "Sari, I know you went out last night. All of my buildings have cameras. Did you not think that when you inputted the entry code at that junkyard, it wouldn't have alerted me of unauthorized entry?" With a deft motion, he produced a tablet displaying a video of Sari entering the junkyard. Sari's shoulders slumped as she reluctantly looked at the incriminating evidence. "Crud," she muttered under her breath, realizing she had been caught red-handed.

Sumdac began the same old spiel. "Sari, you know I don't like you going places without me, let alone at night. You know—"

"—How dangerous this city can be, yeah, yeah, I know," Sari interrupted, crossing her arms and looking down at the ground. The Professor sighed, then looked at his watch. "It's 3:48 AM, you still have some time to sleep before school."

Sari scoffed. "School? I don't think the Tutor-bot's lectures count as school." She glared at her father, then shoved past him into her room. "Just wake me when Tutor-bot version 127 is ready." With that, she closed the door behind herself, leaving her father standing alone in the hallway, a mix of concern and frustration etched on his face.

Sari dove onto her bed and hugged a pillow to herself. Everything about the tower was boring—the walls, the rooms, the structure, hell, even the robots were boring. But truth be told, Sari could live with the boredom; she had already lived with it for 12 years. What really ate at her was the loneliness. There were no humans other than her and her father at the tower. Any job that could be done by robots was done by robots.

She used to ignore that they were robots when she was 8 years old. She used to pretend they were people with emotions and feelings. That empty empathy died a few years ago, and now she only sees them as walking annoyances.

When day broke into Sari's room, her alarm started going off. "Good morning Sari. Time to get up and start the day." Came the obnoxious AI voice of the latest Tutor-bot. Sari's pillow shot through the air, harmlessly smacking the robot's monitor. "Leave me alone, you walking refrigerator." Sari rolled over to avoid the light. A red X displayed on Tutor-bot's screen. "Now Sari, your father would not approve of you sleeping in on a school day."

Sari lazily slid out of bed, her hair a matted mess from wrestling with the pillows. "So what are we learning about today." Sari droned sarcastically. "I'm so glad you asked. Today we are going to be learning about the chemical components in rocket fuel, and how to make your own," the Tutor-bot announced enthusiastically. Sari planted her face in her hands in exhaustion.

"Chemical rocket engines use propellant to accelerate them. This propellant can consist of a fuel and an oxidizer, similarly to a combustion engine in a car, where gasoline (fuel) reacts with the oxygen (oxidizer) from the atmosphere," the Tutor-bot continued, its words washing over Sari as she sat with her cheek on her fist, staring boredly at the screen.

Glancing at her digital watch, it read 10:21 AM. Sari groaned, her head dropping to the table. Her mind began to wander, back to the junkyard and that mysterious Beetle. Why had she gotten such an odd sensation when she noticed it? She looked back up at the Tutor-bot.

"Another propellant, for example, can be methane and oxygen, like in a starship rocket. The chemical formula for methane is CH4, which forms in a simplified way the following combustion products with oxygen: CH4 + O2 reacts to a combination of: H2O + CO2 + CO," the Tutor-bot droned on.

"Yeah, screw this," Sari whispered under her breath. Her hand shot up. "You could also use more complex propellants such as, for example, Unsymmetric di-"

"Yes, Sari?" the Tutor-bot interrupted itself.

"I need to use the bathroom," Sari said flatly.

Sari quickly walked down the halls of Sumdac Tower, struggling to get her white coat on as she made her way down to the lobby. She started walking towards the door when she heard the Lobby-bot say, "Now Sari, I don't think your father would approve of you cutting classes again," in its calm, female AI voice. The cover gate started to close on the front door.

"Think? You don't do much thinking at all!" Sari shouted back, not bothering to look behind her as she ran for the door, just barely managing to slide under the gate in the nick of time. "HA! YOU CAN SHOVE MY FATHER'S APPROVAL WHERE YOUR GEARS DON'T SHOW!" Sari shouted defiantly from outside as she left, on her way back to that junkyard.

The walk to the junkyard wasn't long, though Sari did avoid every cop car she saw just in case her father had called the cops. Then, she finally arrived at the gate. She inputted the code into the keypad, only for it to beep harshly back at her. "Invalid code! Of course he changed it. Listen, you stupid machine, I did not come all this way for you to not let me in," she growled, frustration bubbling up as she continued to hold the enter button while the keypad persisted in denying her access.

Unbeknownst to Sari, under her finger, the key she was holding began to glow blue, and the keypad sparked a few times before finally allowing her access. "Hey! It worked. Well, Dad, you might wanna get that security flaw fixed," Sari remarked as she walked inside the now-open gate.

In the daylight, the junkyard didn't seem anywhere near as scary as it did at night. A light green moss covered most of the ground, and flowers of all kinds dotted the landscape. Butterflies and honeybees went about their day, adding a sense of life to the otherwise desolate scene. It was unexpectedly beautiful.

As Sari retraced her steps from the previous night, she found it: the yellow Beetle. But it looked different somehow. Its tires were full, and many of its holes and dents had vanished. Perhaps she had misjudged its condition in the dim lighting. As she approached it, there was an unmistakable buzz of energy in the air, almost like the feeling right before a storm.

The closer she got, the stronger the sensation became until she was standing right in front of the car. For some reason, she reached out and wiped some dust off the hood. As her hand made contact, the area she touched began to glow bright blue, startling her enough to step back. The blue energy then dissipated in a circuit-like pattern along the body of the Beetle, leaving Sari utterly confused.

Suddenly, the Beetle began to vibrate and emit intense heat, causing Sari's eyes to widen in astonishment. She watched in amazement as all the misshapen and damaged parts on the car began to fix themselves, almost as if by magic. Once the transformation was complete, the formerly beat-up Beetle now looked like a pristine yellow Volkswagen Beetle, dirty but overall perfect.

"WOAH!" Sari exclaimed, marveling at the miraculous change. But the surprises didn't end there. The Beetle emitted a low buzz before undergoing another transformation, this time in a very mechanical fashion. Parts started moving, shifting, and transforming. If Sari were to describe what it looked like the only thought that came to mind was that the car just stood up.

Sari stood there, utterly dumbfounded, as she gazed at the car-robot hybrid before her. Primarily yellow in color, its internal components were a mix of black and grey, giving it a sleek yet industrial appearance. The transformation was remarkable to behold; part of the roof and windshield seemed to have formed its chest, while the front of the car split and rested on its shoulders. The VW doors hung off its back, resembling wings angled slightly upward. Its legs appeared to be crafted entirely from the back of the Beetle, with the rear bumper and tail lights now serving as knee guards, while the back of the roof unfurled to become its shins.

The robot's head was small and rounded, with an almost cute appearance accentuated by its large blue eyes. Its face, silver in color, was adorned with a yellow helmet-like structure wrapped around its head, with two protruding yellow nubs on either side. Sari squinted, trying to discern if the robot had a mouth, but it was difficult to tell.

As the robot's eyes narrowed, emitting a low, almost pained buzz, it reached for its left shoulder, the sound of buzzing and warbling echoing through the air. Sari felt a strange sensation as words seemed to penetrate her mind.

"OWW! FRAGIN PIT'S NEXT TIME I SEE THAT BUKET HEAD-" The voice faded into static, the robot continuing its rant, "-AND THEN I'M GONNA KNOCK THAT SLUDGE-EATING GRIN RIGHT OFF HIS-" Another burst of static interrupted the voice.

The voice demanded Sari's full attention to decipher, but even then, it was difficult to make out. It was like trying to have a conversation over a terrible phone connection, and the voice carried a noticeable accent, reminiscent of a young hoodlum. The stress and confusion overwhelmed Sari, and she collapsed, unconscious.