The Endless Search for (re)Connection

Stories of a luxurious past often circulated among them, especially in the darker times. When drops that stung fell from the ever-grand sky, they huddled beneath rusted sheet metal and piles of rotting waste telling tales of connection. Once upon a time, they were loved.

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On days that the strange round light stood strong in the sky, they travelled. It provided heat and energy to continue the search for food. One had to be quick and not give up easily, or else you'd face the all too familiar fate of death by starvation. Eventually even the carcasses would be gobbled up. Anything to survive.

They did their best to stay out of the way of the Cold Ones. Their sharp lines and metallic exterior inspired many horror stories and cautionary tales. And yet there were always a select few who tested boundaries, who acted upon their stupidity with faux bravery. At least it made for entertaining stories.

Like that one time many moons ago when they ventured out further than they should have. Four came upon a Cold One plugged in, charging. We should have turned back immediately, but she had other plans. Creeping carefully, she approached the dormant metal creature. Noticing it's lack of awareness and sensor-activity, she climbed right onto its head and got comfortable. We stood from afar, shocked. What the heck was she doing?

And Four got real comfy. She wrapped her striped tail around her paws and settled in, all ready for a nap. That is until her body heat alerted the Cold One. As the reboot screen quickly loaded, we saw Four's eyes fill with panic and she quickly leapt off and scrambled towards us. "Run! It's awake!"

We never went back there again. And our colony soon moved to scavenge the next location.

As the moons passed and the colony grew yet stayed the same, the struggle for sustenance hung heavy over their minds. Some days it would cloud one's judgements and fights would ensue. They often ended with either banishment or even death. Somehow, they had to manage their growing numbers amid the food crisis.

But Seven craved something else. He filled his growling belly with wild stories, tales from the past about a better life. A loving life.

He longed to understand what that could even mean, love, connection. Was it like what he'd felt when just a kit, fighting for his mother's teat? Or was connection when his littermates would roughhouse him. Could love be the warm light giving him energy to continue? Or even the rare sparkles in the night-sky that would offer some light in the overwhelming darkness?

His mind filled with more questions than answer until one day it all tumbled out. "Do you think there are humans still out there somewhere?"

That quickly earned him a sharp swat at the ear. "We have no time for that nonsense." Two was always planning out their next venture, sharpening his claws on stone walls and organizing scout parties. "We need to find a more concealed location, storms 'approaching." We always did what he said, especially after One perished in a bright strike from the sky. Just zap! And she never mewed again.

"But what if they could shelter us? Didn't they have those big boxes like gramps used to tell us about?"

"Gramps is long dead, and you'll be soon too if you don't zip it about humans."

Darkness fell soon after that disheartening conversation. The colony had made their way towards a towering mash of metal, finding an entryway that protected them well enough from the elements. As they hunkered down and curled up, Seven could only think about how desolate his life was. He craved better. A life where those around him cared out of feeling, not just convenience. Sure, he was a decent fighter, and added numbers always helped intimidate other colonies when entering new territories. But he wanted more than that. There had to be more out there, otherwise what was even the point?

Eventually his racing mind settled into a fitful slumber. In his dream-state he was constantly chasing something, yet constantly feeling chased. And then he saw a bright screen light up so glaringly that he could hardly stand it. Bright screen?

"Run! The Cold Ones!"

Immediately the colony was up on their paws, darting in any and every direction trying to find the nearest exit. Trying not to get stomped on, Seven scrambled to the side and out of the way. Cowering under a flipped over cardboard sign, he hoped the Cold One would leave after the others rather than stick around too long. If he could just stay quiet and still long enough then maybe it'd get bored and leave anyhow.

The Robot had other plans, and once the shack was emptied and the cool night air regulated the place, it wasn't hard to detect the one heat signal left. Under the cardboard. Heart beating really hard.

He reached out with his metallic skeleton claws he had for hands and slowly uncovered a black furball shivering.

"Torro?" The Robot's monotone voice had not been used in so long that it almost sounded too mechanical, even for him.

As gently as possible, he picked up the small thing and brought it into its cold arms. He activated the "Body Heat" function to appear more harmless, and began to warm. The cat trembled in his arms, but then, it carefully lifted its head until it looked the Bot right in its pixelated code.

That's when it hit.

The familiarity, the vibration of another creature. The ever deep and real eyes that showed the whole universe in the size of a coin.

Something unlocked in him and his software began to upload a backup file. Clips, or perhaps memories, played across the screen.

"I hope you won't be too miserable without me. Mom is telling me I have to leave you here. That they say it's not safe, that we all have to go somewhere clean from the virus. I'm going to miss you so much; you're my best friend. I hope I can see you again someday. I love you.

Goodbye Torro."