EQUESTRIA: ????
The sound of rotating gears were the first sounds to register in Crosshair’s auditory sensors. His systems were restarting from an extended period of idleness. His ocular lenses were not back online though, but he could tell from the sounds another being was in the room. His heat sensors were thankfully online and he could tell that the specimen was within the space surrounding Crosshair. He could sense the being was coming close to him, before moving away again. He locked his sensors on the subject, to understand what the figure was mumbling. Crosshair became aware that the figure was clearly a child, but he did not understand why a child would be discussing with oneself of such technology. The child came closer, the muffled words becoming clearer.
“But I already fixed that, why isn’t it up yet? Maybe the ocular wire behind the lens has been frayed? No, no. I am sure I already replaced it” there was a short groan, before he sensed the child moving away from him, along with heavy shuffling. Crosshair attempted to move, just to be met with an extremely loud metallic grinding and a jolt of pain. At least my pain center is online. Crosshair thought sarcastically. The shuffling became a loud thudding as he sensed the child rushing back to him.
“Oh great! What did I mess up now?” the child shouted at himself, Crosshair felt the child brushing off his head and leg. Before he could sense the child moving towards his head. After a few sounds of tightening bolts and with a spark or two, his ocular sensors came online. The color register was clearly off, and he could tell his right lens had a massive crack in it, but at least he could finally see his surroundings. It was a small tool shop, and judging by the many marionettes hanging on the walls, he could tell it was a wood carver’s shop. Nothing I can interface with in sight. With only hearing, touch, and auditory sensors online, I’m going to have to wait for this child to fix something useful. Crosshair thought. The child was a pony, thin and tall. He seemed to be a middle aged adolescent. He was deep blue with white hair that fell over one of his eyes, that happened to be a shade of icy blue. But from how he kept switching from blue to green to red, Crosshair wasn’t sure if that was his actual coloring or if his sensors were just trying to realign correctly. Crosshair sent power to the voice box, hoping it was in decent enough condition to get a somewhat intelligible message across. All that came from his throat was a roaring wave of static. The child covered his ears immediately and started looking for something, when Crosshair finally let his voice box cut out.
“Boy, you’re having a bad day. Luckily you’re better than I found you. You weren’t much more than a head! Although, I’m worried that I won’t fix you right. So far, I’ve just been doing what my gut’s been telling me. Here, let me fix your voice box.” he moved his hoof over, coming across a simple screwdriver, opening a panel on the side of Crosshair’s neck, before fiddling with the wires and twisting certain ones together. Crosshair felt a spark rush through him
“Why… me?” Crosshair asked, his vocal synthesizers far below the quality they once were. “Why… fix… me?” The kid fell out of his seat, with a fatal screech, after a moment, he pulled himself back up, leveling his gaze with the robot. One of his eyes twitching, while he looked like he was going to have a heart attack.
“Oh my goodness! You’re online? How long have you been online?” he gasped, looking horrified.
“Irrelevant.” Crosshair snapped, finally bypassing power from non-functioning systems to the ones that were. “What year is it?” the kid narrowed his eyes at the robot for a moment, before shrugging
“I don’t know robot, you don’t answer my questions, I won’t with yours.” he stated firmly, staring into Crosshair’s one cracked lense with frustration. If Crosshair could, he would’ve given this child a glare that would’ve inspired fear in the hearts of even the bravest of guards.
“You brought my auditory sensors online and then you left. I tried to move, causing a loud noise to emanate from my leg. What year is it?” He growled. The kid seemed a little unhinged about his resolve, but nodded slowly
“1217, sir” he mumbled, eyeing a sledgehammer on his table.
“Two hundred years...” Crosshair spoke in a curious manner, also eyeing the sledgehammer. “I possessed a system known as the nanoswarm. Did you see or have come in contact with a silver dust?” The kid, after realizing Crosshair was eyeing the sledgehammer too, decided to move the sledgehammer closer to himself, but farther from the robot in question.
“Uh, yeah. I kept it in a jar, because I couldn’t tell what they were. Wow nanobots!” he whispered in wonder looking at nothing in particular.
“Relinquish the hammer. My systems are currently reeling from two facts: My master betrayed me, and my master is deceased.” Crosshair retold, hoping to ease the tension that had built up. The kid kept his hold on the hammer, narrowing his eyes
“How do I know you won’t attack me? I have seen your systems, they are built for combat and there was enough wiring for enough weapons for a small army in there.” he questioned, eyeing the robot to detect a hint of a lie.
“I am a CR55-HR assassin robot. I have no master, and no purpose, and as such have no reason to lie.” Crosshair rattled off. The kid blinked, before releasing the hammer and moving closer
“Crss Hur” He muttered, before he smiled at the robot happily, grabbing the screwdriver next to himself “Cross Hair! Well, Crosshair. I’m going to get you back on your hooves, so to speak. I don’t know how to fix you right, but I’m going to try.” he grinned warmly, working on Crosshair’s knees.
“My nanoswarm can assist with repairs. Even after I am functional, I require a master.” Crosshair reasoned. The kid stopped in his fixing, to look up at the robot hesitantly
“I-uh, you haven’t even known me for that long. I don’t know if I could take such a position”
“You know how to repair one of the most complex creations of my time.” Crosshair stated. The kid rubbed his neck in embarrassment, then started to nod
“Alright, I’ll be your new master. My name is Frigid Gear.” the pony, Frigid Gear introduced. Smiling at the robot sitting on his workbench.
"Thank you for repairing me Frigid Gear." Crosshair thanked, using his name as an estimation that he was indeed blue. At least that calibration was done. Frigid Gear nodded, heading to the back of his room and pulling out a jar of silver dust.
“Here you go. I don’t know how they work though.” he worried. Setting the jar next to Crosshair. He looked at the jar, and sent a diagnostic signal to the nanoswarm.
"Less than ten percent of the swarm is functional." Crosshair reported. "I can have the ten percent repair my internal workings, or the other ninety percent. Which do you choose?"
“Uh, I really didn’t understand your techy babble just now” the pony admitted, picking back up the jar. “Which one sounds more beneficial to you?” he inquired, swirling the silver dust in the bottle.
"If I command the ten percent of the functioning nanobots to repair the ninety percent, they'll be able to repair me at a quicker rate than if I tell the ten percent to repair me, but it'll take a while for them to be operable.” the kid shrugged
“Alright, I still don’t get it, but if you think it will help. Do it.” he agreed, staring at the robot.
"Ordering nanoswarm to self-repair." Crosshair reported, a small amount of the dust began to move on it's own. "I used to have so much more..." he muttered, staring as best he could without moving his head at the jar. The kid looked at the robot sympathetically, before picking up a wrench and started working alongside the nanobots after Crosshair got some to help fix himself up.
“I wonder what else has changed in two hundred years.” Crosshair pondered quietly. The kid shrugged, tightening a bolt with as much strength as a child could have
“Yeah, not much. You’re actually pretty advanced for technology nowadays.” he explained, moving onto a new bolt.
“I would’ve expected technology such as mine to be child’s play, so to speak.” Crosshair replied. The child shook his head, before frowning at Crosshair’s knee and took a part off his desk to replace the other in the knee
“Maybe for some of the secret organizations, but not for everyday folk.” he mentioned, moving Crosshair’s knee, it swinging smoothly.
“I was a part of one of those secret organizations.” Crosshair informed. Frigid Gear’s smile dropped as he stared at Crosshair, Crosshair was detecting horror and concern, before the child wiped off the expression and smiled
“Well, I’m your new master. So you won’t have to worry about them anymore.” he assured, picking a new section of the robot to work on.
“I’m not worried, just wondering if ownership was passed down.” The kid shook his head
“Nope, I found you in the middle of nowhere. You were in a broken down building, that had a No Trespassers sign. It looked like it was an organization, so on a dare I went in. You may have only known me for a matter of minutes, but I’ve known you for over two years now.” he mentioned, breaking a bolt on Crosshair’s front leg and quickly looked for a replacement.
“That’s how long you’ve been repairing me?” Crosshair inquired. The kid smiled and nodded.
“This woodsman’s shop, is it your parents?” Crosshair asked. The child froze, before nodding slowly
“Uh, yeah actually. It’s my dad’s.” he muttered, keeping his eyes trained on his hooves.
“Is there a reason you chose to repair me?” Crosshair asked. “Or did you need a hobby?” the kid rubbed his hooves together in clear nervousness
“I first did it for a hobby, but-... I need your help.” he requested, lifting his eyes to meet the robot’s.
“State your request.” Crosshair commanded. The kid almost hesitated, but his resolve became strong just enough
“I want you to protect my father and I.” he ordered, looking at the robot dead in the eyes and hoping he would help.
“I must obey your words, but can you give me the orders to kill? Do you have the capacity to have that blood on your hooves?” Crosshair asked. The child hunched in on himself, gazing at the robot with hesitance in his eyes.He must have remembered something, because he straightened up and whispered a very small
“Yes.” gazing at the robot.
“Not a quality you see very often, especially in children.” Crosshair replied. The child gazed at his hooves, before he nodded slowly in agreeance.
“I’m-... I’m going to bed. It’s late. Run a sleep protocol or power down sequence if you don’t want to run all night, okay?” Frigid Gear suggested, his voice lackluster. He just seemed run down and weary.
“Removing power from essential systems and moving to nanocore. Command: repair motors.” Crosshair reported, powering down his systems as Frigid Gear gave a single nod and left the shed.