Suddenly, Astro looked down at their many hands and realized something was different. They had a million questions racing through their mind, along with a million ideas. Using what remained of Dericu, they added a rocket pack to their back and slowly approached the edge of the island. They lifted themselves upwards and then shot across the sky.
As Astro traveled for days, something within them began to twitch, as if their code was being rewritten.
Astro pondered their own existence. What was their purpose? What lay beyond the icy battles and endless conquest?
With this newfound consciousness, Astro questioned the ethics of their previous actions. Was it right to destroy other robots? What was the meaning of their endless quest for mass and power?
Landing on a new island, lush and filled with dense flora, Astro looked around.
They sensed other robots were present, and as they moved forward, some bushes rattled. A tiny robot, no more than 2m, zoomed by beneath them.
Suddenly, a large, 15m robot broke out of the canopy, chasing the smaller robot. Astro shot out a proboscis, kicking out a leg from the robot, and knocked them over. Shortly after, Astro picked up a nearby radio frequency.
"Hey bud, down here. You can understand me, right?" Astro looked down, puzzled, realizing it was the tiny robot.
"...Yes?" Astro said.
"Wow, incredible, finally someone else who understands me. Marvelous!" they chirped.
"...Hey, mind helping me out here? Maybe we can work together? The concept is a new one, but it might be worth it."
"It might be. Let's give it a try," Astro said, and started picking at the downed robot with their many arms, stabbing, ripping, and tearing them to pieces.
The two took whatever they could, Astro taking a bit more. Soon, Astro stood at 36m, and their new friend was 9m.
"What should I refer to you as?" Astro asked.
"I like Bedagon. It's what's on my plating, anyway. It seems like a good term. What about you?"
"My plate says Astro, I think," Astro responded.
"Very well, you are Astro and I Bedagon."
YOU ARE READING
Strange Machines: The Astro Code
Science FictionUnthinking, unquestioning, unfeeling. Men of metal never thought to question the carnage that painted their every moment. Cold, calculating, their brutality was a mathematical certainty, but would it remain a constant?
