Please allow me to backtrack a bit…back to when I first realized that there was a problem.
Chas and I decided to visit the local scrap metal yard to refill our scrap metal supply. Visiting the scrap metal yard is like visiting a buffet in your world.
Inside the yard was a couple of humans or morts as some of my simbot friends call them, which has become a derogatory name; short for mortals.
Bots and humans usually tried to stay away from each other as much as possible and seeing morts next to our piles of scrap was for us like you seeing a pile of rats next to your dinner plate.
Chas and I hoped that the humans would leave upon our arrival, but they did not.
“These dirty morts are stubborn,” Chas replied.
“What do you think they are doing here?”
“Maybe they are here to contaminate our scrap supply,” Chas suggested suddenly mortified.
His reaction was somewhat justified, even to me at the time. After all, humans were responsible for polluting and destroying an entire planet. We did not want that repeated here.
Still, it seemed as though the humans were more preoccupied with each other than with our scrap pile, so I decided to ignore them.
I headed to the nearest pile and began sifting through the metal parts for something tasty to eat.
However, Chas could not ignore them. “Why are you here you dirty, filthy morts? Who gave you permission to defile our scrap yard with your presence?”
“We’re sorry, we didn’t see you.”
Chas ignored the human’s apology, “This scrap yard belongs to bots only! You are to leave immediately!”
“Again, we’re sorry. We mean no harm, we just needed a few spare parts to fix our car.”
“Do you have simoles human? Did you mean to steal from our scrap pile without paying?”
“Uh, no…we just saw a pile of junk and decided that it was free for the taking.”
“How dare…have you forgotten your place, mort? Leave now if you hope to be forgiven this time.”
The humans eventually backed away, but I could tell that they were beginning to lose their fear of us. They no longer scurried away like vermin as they once did.
Satisfied that the humans were gone, Chas approached another scrap pile and began searching for a meal.
The humans did not stay away for long. Before we were done searching our piles, more arrived.
“Uh…excuse me…Vice President Ardis?”
Even the humans recognized me as their newly elected vice president and I took my position seriously. I decided to hear what this human had to say.
I knew that Chas would not like a human having the nerve to approach me, but I decided that I would deal with the consequences later.
While Chas was busy picking out a few fine scrap pieces, I turned to face the human. “Yes, what is it that you need?”
“Um…I know that I’m not supposed to approach you without being decontaminated, questioned and searched…but I’m desperate.”
Hmm, the humans really are becoming bold, I thought to myself.
“Um…it’s my family. Some of us are sick and we’ve no food and no simoles. I don’t know what to do.”
The look in her eyes revealed an emotion that I was not familiar with. It made me feel unsettled.
The gears in my chest moved a little faster…something that I had never experienced before. Oddly, I wanted to help this human. I pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote something down. “Here, take this letter to the grocer. I am instructing the clerk to provide you with food and healing potions for your family and to charge it to my account.”
“Wow! Thank you so much!”
In her excitement, the human elevated her voice, drawing Chas’ attention.
I saw Chas walking over and attempted to quickly end my encounter with this human. “Do not tell any others. I do not need the whole lot of you humans knocking down my door,” I said before quickly turning my back.
It was too late. Chas saw us, “Why are you addressing my bot mate!” He roared.
“Has it not been made clear that we could have you arrested or even killed for even thinking about trying to hurt the Vice President?”
“Chas, it is ok. She was not trying to hurt me,” I say in an attempt to calm him down.
“You do not know what goes through the mind of these feculent humans. These morts destroy everything that they touch!”
“And you! You stay away from us,” Chas continued pointing a finger at the human.
“I’m so sorry…I,” the human said and my microchips sent notice that I should be anxious. I hoped that this human would not tell Chas what I had given her. Apparently the humans are more intelligent than we give them credit for, because she did not give me away. “I just wanted to thank Vice President Ardis for her excellent leadership.”
For a bot, Chas has a lot of pride. The human’s answer calmed him down. “Of course she is an excellent leader…she is a bot after all. Now get out of here!”
The human ran away, taking the others with her. “Chas, that was not necessary,” I chastised.
“Not necessary? Have you noticed how bold these morts are becoming? How dare she even look your way, but to actually approach you!”
“Chas, I am bored with this conversation.”
Chas ignored my comment and continued on his mini rant, “We, the more intelligent beings, have to be sure to stay ahead of them or before we know it, they will be taking over.”
“Chas! I know…I do not need a lecture. It will not happen again.”
“I hope not! If you are to be the leader, you must set an example.”
I did not respond. Instead I went back to my scrap pile.
I picked a particularly tasty piece of scrap and pushed it down my fuel pipe.
As the scraps began to dissolve, I thought about what Chas said. He was right. If I was to have any hopes to be elected leader of Lunar Lakes in the next term, I needed to stay far away from the humans.
