EarthFall

Chap 19. Lines in the Sand.

It didn't take long for the boys to lose interest in the glowing bugs.

"Do you use an internal gyroscope to orient yourself?" Tucker asked the machine as he held a firefly in his hand. "It must be hard to keep your bearings while rolling everywhere."

"Not to orient myself no... but I do have a set of gyroscopes I haven't used in many years...I keep them as a... mobility backup.... I only use them during emergency situations."

Why?" Tucker asked.

"They are... taxing on my resources."

"I can imagine. What type of batteries do you use anyway?" Cornelius asked.

"I must... respectfully decline... to answer that... at this time."

Carson raised his eyebrows as he watched the interaction. Interesting...

Tucker looked a little angry. He waved the firefly away and demanded an answer.

"Why? Why not just admit it's a battery? You're obviously too small to be nuclear powered."

"Because you would... most likely... follow up by asking what kind of battery it was, so on and so forth."

"So you don't want to tell us what makes you Tick? Why not?" Tucker was visibly irate.

The robot was quiet for a few moments.

"You there?" Cornelius asked.

"I am... trying to formulate this in a way... so that you might understand......." It sat motionless for another 5 seconds. Then it turned on it's spokes and seemed to point it's screen directly at Cornelius.

"May I ask you a personal question?" Gaia inquired.

"...Sure..." Corn replied.

"Are you... a virgin?"

"Excuse me!!?" Cornelius's voice cracked slightly.

Carson and Brianna both looked at each other in disbelief and surprise. What?

They both looked back towards Carson and the robot, leaning forward slightly.

Gaia sat patiently.

"No! Not that it matters, but no I'm not. Why?" Cornelius replied cautiously.

"Who did you lose... your virginity to?" Carson bit his fist, trying not to laugh.

"That... I don't see how that is pertinent to the conversation." Was Cornelius's tart reply.

Brianna threw her hands up to cup her mouth. Her Chest began heaving silently with barely contained laughter.

"So would you consider the questions I've just asked you... to be of... a personal nature?"

"Yes! It is highly personal. That is a very, very personal question."

Carson snorted. He couldn't help it. But that was all it took for Brianna to burst like a faulty mine, and keel over to her side. She laughed loud and long. Cornelius looked back, glaring death in their direction. He turned back when he realized the robot was still talking to him.

"I...understand.... I will respectfully drop the subject... In much the same regard, I don't see how... the animating source of my craft is... pertinent... to this conversation. It is... of an extremely personal nature...do you understand?"

Brianna took the opportunity to chime in. "Ok, so you won't tell us everything. That's been established. How about a list of things you don't want to talk about instead? That way we won't bother you with them?"