Once In A Memory [ A Ratchet And Clank Fanfiction ]

[5] Just A Fragment

I'm thinking of cross-posting this on fanfiction again...or even go to Ao3...idk. what do you all think? Wattpad is a calming place for me, but I want my story to get more out there! (that and I think the old version is still on fanfiction and I don't want that there anymore)

ALSO - There's A LOT of INTROSPECTION in this chapter, BE WARNED that it might be a bit slow, or hold a lot of heavy feelings (depending on personal opinion) ENJOY the chapter...

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[Clank]

Clank decided that understanding living beings was a complicated task.

A creation like himself could perform countless equations at a moment's notice. Could determine the odds of winning or losing in a game of virtual poker. Could calculate the exact percentage of how likely something is to happen. Living beings could not. And yet...

Ratchet was always the "Shoot first, ask questions later. Then shoot again." type of guy. He never thought about anything before jumping in to save the day (or make it worse, depending on how Ratchet was feeling that day. He was probably insane sometimes, yet Clank never minded.). Ratchet, by all intents and purposes, was a kid. One that was his best friend. His family since the beginning. His friend was no longer with him.

The point is, even without the ability to calculate formulas and predict situations, Ratchet still went forward. Still jumped into action at a moment's notice in a wild frenzy. While he knew his way around the battlefield and weapons of many kinds, it seemed that Ratchet always threw himself into deadly situations. No matter how much the odds were against him in the end.

Things like that made Clank wonder: What made living beings act so...different compared to robots and other beings. What made them have different personalities? What dictated them to make their decisions. What was it that made them live in a way no others could understand but themselves? When it comes down to it, every being in the universe is different in their own way. But Clank still did not understand, his processors constantly working on finding an answer. He thought back to the time he asked Ratchet that same question,

"Ratchet?"

"Yeah, pal?"

"What is it that makes living beings so, well, so different?"

Ratchet, currently navigating their ship through a debris field, looked over at him in bewilderment, before turning forward once more, "What do you mean? pal?"

Clank tapped his chin, optics narrowing as he thought of a way to explain his question to Ratchet, "Perhaps I can rather ask what makes living beings have emotions, feelings. How do you live and act differently than your other counterparts? One could say, living beings constantly deviate from the norm. The very existence of life in this universe was almost impossible when it was created. So what makes you..well, you?"

Ratchet huffed out, eyes widening, "Wow...that was..a lot." He held up a hand to rub at his neck awkwardly. "You'll have to ask a Philosopher that, pal. I'm not exactly equipped to handle things like..like that!" he exclaimed. But Clank still stared at him, he rolled his eyes, "Look, ever heard of a soul?" Clank shook his head, "Well, it's gonna sound crazy, especially to a walking toaster like you-" Clank glared at him, "-A soul is basically who we are. It's our existence or some crap like that."

Clank looked at him questioningly, "So this..soul? It is what gives you life?"

Ratchet sighed, "Not quite. All the shit we go through and stuff also makes us who we are." he paused, "I think robots like you can't understand things like that. No offense, pal"