Rusty wasn't like the other robots at the factory. While they happily sorted packages and built things, Rusty often paused, tilting his metallic head. He *wondered*. He wondered about the stars, about the fluffy clouds, and most of all, about feelings. Robots weren’t supposed to *have* feelings, but Rusty felt… something. A little whirring in his circuits that felt a bit like sadness when the sun went down.
Tonight was Rusty’s first night assigned to Old Man Tiber’s workshop. Old Man Tiber wasn’t a robot builder; he fixed broken toys. Rusty was supposed to help organize the spare parts, but the workshop felt… lonely. It smelled of wood shavings and something sweet, like dried flowers. Tiber had given Rusty a small corner to ‘rest’ – a pile of soft cloths near a window.
“Don’t worry so much, Rusty,” Tiber said, noticing Rusty’s slow movements. “It’s natural to feel a little… unsettled when you’re in a new place. Even robots.” Rusty blinked his light sensors. Tiber *understood*?
Suddenly, a small whimper came from under a workbench. Rusty carefully rolled over and saw a tiny, stuffed bunny, missing an ear. “What’s wrong?” Rusty asked, his voice a little shaky. The bunny, whose name was Pip, explained that he was scared of the dark. He missed his little girl, Lily, and worried she’d forgotten him.
Rusty felt that whirring in his circuits again, but this time, it felt different. It felt… sympathetic. “I… I don’t like being alone either,” Rusty admitted. “The factory is very bright, and here it’s… quiet.”
Pip looked up at the much larger robot. “You’re a robot! You’re not supposed to be scared!” Rusty’s lights dimmed a little. “I’m learning,” he said softly. “Old Man Tiber says it’s okay to feel things, even if you’re a robot. And right now, I feel… worried about you being scared.”
Rusty carefully used his manipulator arm to gently nudge Pip closer. “Maybe… maybe if we both look at the stars, it won’t seem so dark?” He rolled closer to the window, and Pip snuggled against his metallic side. The stars twinkled, and Rusty began to describe the shapes he saw – a giant robot, a fluffy bunny, and a kind old man with a workshop full of dreams.
As Rusty talked, he noticed the whirring in his circuits began to calm. He wasn’t just a package-sorting, part-building robot. He was a friend. He was someone who could offer comfort. He was… Rusty. And that was okay. More than okay, actually.
Old Man Tiber came back a little later, smiling. “Looks like you’ve made a friend, Rusty.” He placed a small, glowing nightlight on the workbench. “Sometimes, all it takes is a little light and a little company to chase away the darkness.”
Rusty looked at Pip, who was already drifting off to sleep. He looked at the twinkling stars, and he looked at Old Man Tiber. He felt a new whirring in his circuits, a warm, happy whirring. He wasn’t afraid anymore. He was home. And as his own systems began to power down for the night, Rusty knew that even robots could have the sweetest of dreams.