Ava and Aphrodite: The First Human in 8000 Years (Featured)

Chapter 58: A Night With Sylvie and Gobot

Sylvie walked through the busy streets of Mars Central, the second upper level that floated high up in the mountains. The looming towers of the city rose from beneath the streets but did little to cast a shadow over the brightly lit roads.

The skies were dark and it was pouring down, she was wearing her favourite purple shell and a thick brown jacket which had since gotten drenched.

She was confused. Lost and confused. The Major's words were starting to settle in. During their meeting she was too shocked to ask questions, to ask for details. Then again knowing the Major, the questions wouldn't have been answered anyway, the Major only ever told people what she wanted to tell them, nothing more, nothing less.

An admirable quality, you always knew where you were with her.

Gobot waddled along with her.

"You're going to be taken back to the facility tomorrow Gobot, they're going to extract all sorts of data from you, and then we'll be off on our first mission. Isn't there anything you want to do at Mars Central?" she asked him.

"That's ok Miss Sylvie, you need some company." Gobot replied,

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

Sylvie sighed.

They walked a little longer until they got to the bridge that they had crossed the night before. Once again, Sylvie leant over the edge. She looked at Gobot and then lifted him up, she put him on the railing and held him tight, making she he didn't have to worry about falling.

He had the capacity to feel fear now. He'd feel fear if she didn't hold him tight.

And she understood. For once. She understood.

All those times when she told Ava that she found him fascinating because of all those emotions he felt that she didn't.

Were those all a lie? Was she lying to herself?

"I don't get it Gobot, I thought Ava was the first Block-2. Does that mean I was instead? Or, maybe I was made at the same time. I dunno." she said,

"Miss Sylvie, uncle Locke told me that the Block system only exists if you believe it exists."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I don't know. But whenever I was confused about my past self. That's what he told me. He told me my intelligence was always inside of me. I just didn't know it. He said we all had the potential to be our own person."

"I don't get it."

"Me neither."

Well, it was nice that he was trying to help.

"Before Locke unlocked me I only remembered my mission with Mister Ava. I know I existed before that. But I don't remember it. Do you remember your time before Mister Ava, Miss Sylvie?"

"Yeah. Ava was my first agent, but I remember being born, I remember going on missions, and then getting promoted and getting operator training. Never in that time, was I ever told that I was a higher block level than my sisters." unless they were Block-2 too maybe?

Hell, who knew what it even meant now. Maybe she and Ava weren't the only ones. Maybe being Block-2 wasn't even that special, maybe it was only made to sound special because they claimed Ava was the only one.

The two stayed silent as the hubbub of the passing crowd and the pitter patter of the rain consumed them. Mars Central had turned into a different beast for both of them.

"Miss Sylvie. Aren't you worried about what The Major said about Mother?" asked Gobot. Sylvie was still having trouble getting used to Gobot actually initiating conversation. It took her a moment to reply.

"Somehow.... No. I dunno why but I feel like I always knew that she was somewhere around us. Yeah, I wasn't even thinking about it."

"Oh."

It really wasn't until Gobot brought it up when Sylvie realised that it was weird.

She should've been more surprised.

The Block-1s were lying to them. The huge enemy they'd been facing for hundreds of years was influencing them all along.

It was a massive revelation.

And yet somehow it didn't feel like it was.

Why?

"Bluh, I'm so damn confused. My brain's freakin' scrambled Gobot." she held him tighter, "I wish Ava were here."

"I understand Miss Sylvie. I miss my sister."

"Your sister?"

"Aphrodite."

"...Oh."

Again, silence. Again, the two stayed still and listened to the sounds around them.

"You wanna head back to dorms Gobot?" asked Sylvie,

"Ummm." Gobot made an unnatural pondering pose with his stubby little arms. "Can you show me something fun?"

"Something fun?"

"I've never walked around outside the main facility of Mars Central." he twiddled his little thumbs, "I like walking around. I did it a lot in the sanctuary."

"Oh haha. You want me to show you some nice places?" Sylvie smiled warmly, "oh, Gobot, how about I take you shopping then? To Aoyama. I can buy you some paints and make your shell look really pretty! How does that sound?" she beamed "would you like that?"

"Yes please." Gobot nodded enthusiastically.

***

Gobot left the shopping centres of Aoyama with a glowing purple sheen painted all over his body. He had a ribbon stuck to his head and ribbons on his arms.

"Don't I stand out like this Miss Sylvie?" asked Gobot, "I don't know anything about fashion. But I feel silly looking somehow..." he scratched his head, "is this what Mister Ava was complaining about when he told me about you?"

"Whaddya mean by that? Don't you think you look adorable?" Sylvie gushed over how cute the ugly little robot looked. "Look, you're catching everyone's eye!"

It was true. Servs walking by were staring at him, and not because he was an Evo. The network had already programmed people into accepting Gobot as an ally.

Sylvie was certain they were staring at him because of her awesome fashion sense.

"The Major will be angry if she sees me like this." said Gobot,

"Don't you trust me you silly little thing? Come on, I'll take you to a bar, you'll see how cute all the Servs there will think you are!"

"Please no." he started to try and hop away."maybe I made a mistake."

"Oh no you don't!" Sylvie lifted Gobot up, that was all it took for him to be disabled, his stubby little legs wobbled back and forth in the air. "This is going to be your last night in Mars Central in a while. I'm gonna show you around!"

Sylvie just wanted someone to spend time with. She wanted to do something so that she could stop thinking about all the thoughts that were troubling her.

"Noooo." said Gobot, Sylvie grinned with mischief as she carried him off to the shuttle that led to the entertainment district.