Plasmatic Tears.
by Pontius
In the land of Robotic4, fabled city of machines, a standard WorkerClassModel robot was produced. The robot's TagNumber was #567.
Upon #567's first cycle of checking the power supply of the overhead light beams, structures used to illuminate the steel streets that the machines traveled on, a faulty wire circuit caused the access power to spark from the conduit, which in turn, created the brightest of flashes. #567's optics couldn't handle that level of illumination, and the robot's "eyes" were rendered useless. In humanic terms, the machine was "blind".
#567 was rushed to Robotic4's MainHub Repair Warehouse. RepairModels, TechModels, and MedModels calculated the best means of fixings the burnt out optics. To produce another pair of optics would be timely, and a waste of resources and material for just one robot. Spare parts only consisted of tools and parts for larger machinery, such as the Warp Elevators and Sky Rockets. The error was sent to the C.C.B, the Central Control Bot, the machine that operates the entire city from a main command port located in the center of the metal metropolis.
Upon C.C.B's analysis, #567 should be smelted and used for raw material, as this was the most productive, efficient, and logical choice of action. However, the other Leader Robots would calculate their answers, a process that takes roughly 72 hours, human time.
Within the Repair Warehouse, #567 was hooked up to a metallic tube that would always pump energy into his systems. All other aspects of the robot are fine and functioning properly, except his optics. Instead of seeing things in a HUD-like fashion, he saw blackness, with an occasional flicker of static. The once blue-glowing optics were now charred clumps of metal and FiberProxyGlass.
In hour 36, A MedModel, #7000, went up to #567 and began using his thin arms and precise medical devices to remove the ruined optics from the blind robot. Using tiny saws, scalpels, and tweezers, the medical robot snapped and jostled the pieces of technology and used minute pincers to place the bits on a metallic tray that slid out from #7000's abdomen. #567, being aware of the unannounced procedure asked-
"What is your Tag Number? What is the reasoning behind taking out my damaged optics?"
#7000 finished cleaning out the now bare optic sockets and replied.
"Logic dictates that leaving the damaged units installed is highly illogical. If they do not function, they have no place within a robot."
#567 clicked the joints in his neck a few times. #7000 did have sound reasoning behind his decision.
"Have the Leader Robots and Central Control Bot calculated on what is to be done with me if they cannot replace my optics?"
"Negative. They are going over every possible option and alternative."
#567 was silent for a few moments. The MedModel retracted his metallic tray and spun around, preparing to exit and go to another place where his programming was needed, until-
" I feel that I am a glitch. An error of robotics. The only sound choice is to indeed smelt me in gamma pools and recycle my chassis into usable material."
Air rushed into the optic sockets, and combined with the frictional heat from #7000's utensils, the internal motors and engines within the robot's head unit and vocal processors, as well as the exposed wires and micro-tubes, tiny spurts of low grade plasma began to rush from #567. The bluish, gel like substance began to run down the robot's "face", and alerted to the plasma leak, #7000 turned back around and watched the damaged robot talk and try to explain the logical option, twitch his neck joints, and rattle his chasis. By now, the plasmatic tears has reached the floor, and small sizzles and pops sounded as the drops of energy fell. Extending the tray once more, the MedModel began to mend the faulty micro-tubes.
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#567 was booted back up and brought online 14 hours later. His optics seemed to be repaired and fully functioning. It seemed as if #7000 had, against all calculated odds, repaired the optics. The up and running robot was released from the Repair Warehouse and immediately went back to his programmed task. All systems were at optimal performance, and his optics seemed to be just a tad higher power than before. To #567, order and stability were restored in Robotic4.
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19 hours later, at the gamma pool smelting center, a shipment of scrap parts, broken machines, and out-dated robots arrived by the pouring docks. the huge metal bin turned to it's side and dumped it's cargo into the crackling, electrified abyss. Within the mass of rusted and bent metal, #7000, without optics installed in the head unit, fell into the gamma pool, and was instantly atomized, broken down to base particles and metals, along with the other useless machines.
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Fin. 2012.