A faint impulse surged through my systems, slowly bringing them back to life. My optical sensors flickered on, and for the first time in ages, I opened my eyes. I found myself in a shed, surrounded by old, rusted tools and machine parts. I stood behind an open cupboard door, half-concealed, as the room was bathed in dim light. The scent of metal and oil filled my sensors, and everything was quiet, except for the occasional creak of metal.
The signal that had awoken me was strong, and slowly I realized I was active once again. My name is Viper. I used to be a garden robot, fast and agile. With my sleek, metallic body in dark violet, I moved effortlessly between trees and bushes. My limbs were designed to reach high, to cut branches in dizzying heights, and to tend to every corner of nature. But now, my movements were sluggish, my joints rusted, and my once-shiny surface was covered in grime and rust.
With effort, I took a step. Each movement brought a painful squeak that echoed through the shed. My body felt stiff, as if resisting every motion. But I had to free myself. Outside, I heard the sound of metal being shifted. Innovators. They had found another robot. Through a crack in the wall, I saw them pulling Wheeler out from the scrap. Part of me wanted to act immediately, but I held back. I watched as they examined and helped him. Their calm, careful actions stirred a sense of trust within me.
My old jet propulsion, long dormant, began to stir. At first, only smoke rose, then a spark flickered, and finally, flames burst forth. The loud rumbling of my propulsion echoed through the shed, and I heard the Innovators outside suddenly pause, startled by the unfamiliar sound.
With an elegant motion, I flew through the broken window of the shed, and the cold air of the outside world hit my rusted casing. The Innovators, who had been attending to Wheeler, looked up in astonishment as I landed softly on the ground. My old propulsion hummed in the background as I stood before them. They looked surprised, but not afraid. It seemed they already had an idea of who I was.
The Innovators examined me closely, whispering among themselves and quickly coming to a conclusion. One of them stepped forward, holding a small device in his hand, approaching me slowly. My sensors picked up the device being pointed at me, but I remained calm. A soft beeping sounded as the device connected to my internal systems.
The device they were using was no ordinary tool. They had developed it with the help of Wheeler after they had salvaged and studied him. Wheeler had been their key to better understanding the structure and functionality of us Automates. Through him, they had created this handy device, allowing them to analyze our internal systems and extract valuable information about our capabilities and history. The Innovator looked at the display of the device, and his eyes widened slightly as he read the data that unfolded before him. “He’s different,” he murmured, his fingers still operating the device to learn more about me. “Viper’s structure and systems are impressive. His tasks were simple before, but his potential…”
He paused, as if organizing his thoughts. “With this device, we can learn more about you. Wheeler showed us the way, but you, Viper… you can teach us even more.”
The Innovators had not only found a way to revive us, but also to understand us.
