Here is the next chapter in My Fairytale. I hope you’re enjoying it. I updated chapters 2, 3, & 4 today. If you see any typos, please let me know. Also let me know how you’re enjoying the story in the comments below. Thank you.

5

I arrived at the Space Observatory early the next morning, excited to find out what Supervisor Robot learned from the Space Agency. I wasn’t the only early one. Several of the other team members were also there and waiting expectantly.

          Walter arrived after me and sat beside me at the worktable we shared. ‘Temporarily,’ I told myself. I didn’t know when Supervisor Robot would pair me with a new partner. I hoped it would be soon. When he arrived will be good.

          “I see you’re early,” said Walter, by way of conversation.

          “Most of us are,” I said as the door opened and the remaining team members arrived along with Supervisor Robot. I sat up straighter, waiting for his announcement.

          “Good morning. Good news for everyone. The Space Agency was eager to see the data you presented yesterday. They are preparing today to send up a team of scientists to nudge the comet away from Aithra. What they need you to do is to continue to collect data. They need up to date information as soon as you can give it to them. With that said, I have new partners for Walter and Valerie. Walter, your new partner is Anastasia. Valerie, your new partner is Sean. Decide where you want to monitor the comet.

          I went to join Sean at his table, while Anastacia joined Walter.

          Sean had red hair, green eyes and a contagious smile. Contagious because with one look at him, he had me smiling.

          “Welcome to my table.”

          Walter interrupted him. “Where are you planning to monitor the comet?”

          “My partner and I were at Mulforte, but I thought the Chelmsder Volcano would be a good spot,” said Sean.

          “Good, then Anastacia and I will continue to monitor from Allerton Mountain,” said Walter.

          “Sounds good to me,” I said.

          I had never been to Chelmsder Volcano. I had heard a lot about it though. Supposedly, it was extinct. I read in school that it last erupted three hundred years ago. Father told me about the eruption. It was also one of the reasons why the human population became extinct.

          “It will be great to see the volcano up close. I’m a geologist as well as an astrophysicist,” said Sean.

          “Did you want to go together or in separate transports?”

          “First, let’s see how well we work together. I can take the equipment on my transport. I already have a good deal of my own equipment in it.”

          “Then maybe it would be good to put this equipment in my transport,” I suggested.

          “We could, but you will see I have more than enough room for it.”

          “Let’s get it out there and decide then,” I said going to the equipment locker and getting what we needed.

          I soon saw his transport was much larger than the standard transport.

          “My robot father builds transports. He gave me this one right off the production line when I got assigned here. He knew I would need a top rate transport.”

          When I helped him load the equipment onto his transport, top rate didn’t begin to describe the latest equipment the transport came with. He even had sleeping quarters if he was out in the field for an extended period. I also realized his robot father would have been in a leadership role at the production plant.

          I followed him on my transport to Chelmsder Volcano. It looked impressive. It was the highest volcano in North Brimea. There was another taller volcano, but it was in the southern hemisphere. The caldera was five miles across.

          I landed my transport beside his and helped set up our equipment. “I can see why this is a great spot to monitor the comet.”

          “I’ve been here a few times and always wanted to explore more of the volcano. We’ll have the opportunity while we monitor the comet.”

          “Yes, we will.” After setting up the equipment and taking the first reading, I walked around the area we chose, stood on the edge of the volcano and looked down to see a lake extending across the caldera. I wasn’t prepared for the intense beauty the volcano offered. Its blue depth reflected the sky above. Foliage bordered the edge and slope of the volcano. Inside its rocky slope looked hazardous to anyone wanting to go into the volcano.

          “So, tell me why you wanted a new partner,” said Sean after taking another reading and getting pictures of the comet.

          “He’s professional in his work. He knows what he’s doing. However, the only time I went out with him showed me a different side of him I didn’t appreciate.”

          “How?”

          “His use of profanity, one, and his treatment of others. He treated everyone, especially robots as inferior to himself.”

          “I see. You don’t see robots as inferior?”

          “No. Do you?”

          “I have a great respect for them. I wouldn’t be the person I am without my robot parents.”

          “I know I learned a lot from mine. They gave me good moral values by taking me to church, teaching me right from wrong, and showing me the value I have in my humanity.”

          “What does your robot dad do?”

          “He works in the transportation department. He makes certain all the various modes of transportation are on schedule.”

          “Does he have a supervisory role?”

          “Yes.”

          “Talking with Anastacia and others, I found the robots assigned to us when they created us are in supervisory positions.”

          “Interesting. I didn’t know that or thought about it.”

          “You’re in astronomy as I am. Do you find your father robot can talk to you about your work?”

          I thought about Father coming out to stand beside me and look up at the stars and realized he knew a lot more about the universe than his role in transportation. “Yes, though I never thought about it before.”

          “What does your mother robot do?”

          “She takes care of the home. She’s a great listener.”

          “Do you find it strange they don’t have names? I mean, we didn’t either until recently, but they only have titles: supervisor, worker, First Robot, and so forth.”

          “I never thought about it, but you’re right. I know how excited I was when I got my name. What does your name mean?”

          “It’s another name for John. The spelling comes from Ireland. It means classic, natural, wholesome, strong, refined, strange, simple, God’s gracious gift, gift of God.”

          “It has a good meaning. Mine is similar in that it means strong, wholesome, natural, and refined.”

          “I remember First Robot saying our names had similar meanings.”

          “Yes, he did.”

          “Do you know what Walter’s name means?”

          “I didn’t ask him. I didn’t want to ask him.”

          “We should get more readings,” he said, going over to the telescope.

          We worked well together throughout the day. By the end we had a good collection of data and pictures, both comet and the meteor shower.

          “Time to pack it up and get back to the lab,” he said, taking down one of the telescopes.

          It didn’t take long for us to get the equipment packed and head back. We found everyone there when we arrived.

          “Now that you’re all here, we have a good amount of data to give to Cragshire Space Center. While you were collecting data, they gathered the crew for the space launch. They will lift off in one week,” said Supervisor Robot.

          “Is it enough time for them to train for the upcoming mission?” asked Michael.

          “Plenty of time. They are all veteran astronauts, having launched into space long before we created you,” said Supervisor Robot.

          “Do you know if the Space Center will train humans for space flight?” I asked, wishing I could be one of those astronauts and see the universe up close.

          “I’m certain the Space Center will recruit humans, but it is a long process and could be years before we see humans go into space.”

          “And yet, it was our ancestors who came here by space flight,” said Walter.

          “Your ancestors were highly qualified astronauts and scientists. However, they died, leaving First Robot to build a robot community so we could grow humans. You are the first successful humans from the DNA of those scientists.”

          “Are you growing more humans?” asked Jenny.

          “Yes. When we saw how successful you were, we started another group. It will be nine months before they enter the world and another eighteen years before they are in your place. Everything takes time. That’s why First Robot hopes to find natural pairs between the first humans in your life partners.”

          “I feel like an experiment,” said Jeremy.

          Heads nodded.

          “That’s exactly what you are: experiments. First Robot and the other supervisors were happy with the success you brought to the robot community.”

          “What about our successes?” asked Walter.

          “You made a great success with the comet. Without the data you collected, we wouldn’t be going to space to nudge the comet in the right direction.”

          “Come on. Are you going to stand there and tell us you don’t have data collectors? Robots who can do the same thing we did in the last couple of weeks,” asked Walter.

          “Walter, life isn’t all about you. It’s about us working together,” I said.

          “Well said,” said Anastacia.

          “Let’s not bicker. The robot community is proud of all of you and what you achieved here with the comet. It won’t be long before we have the comet on the proper trajectory,” said Supervisor Robot.

          “Still, if robots can launch into space, they can collect the data. You don’t need us,” said Walter.

          “On the contrary. We need you as much as you need us.”

          Walter gave a contemptuous look, and said, “I don’t need robots.”

          “Where would you be without them?” asked Jeremy.

          Walter didn’t have a comment, snide or otherwise, for which I was thankful.

          “Be here extra early tomorrow, seven a.m. We need to get an early start with data collection,” said Supervisor Robot.

          “I’m ready to go home, anyway,” I said and headed for the door. ‘Walter was becoming too much,’ I thought, shaking my head.

          It was later than usual when I walked into the house to see Mother put my supper on the table. “Thank you. Let me clean up before I eat. It was a long day in the field.”

          “Your father will be here shortly, and we can talk about your day.”

          “I would like that,” I said and rushed to the bathroom, washed the dirt from my face, combed my hair and headed back to the kitchen. Father had arrived and they waited for me to sit before praying and eating.

          “Tell us how your day went. Did you get a new partner?” asked Father.

          “Yes. His name is Sean. He’s likeable, good looking, and we work well together.”

          They were quiet while they retrieved the information about my new partner.

          “Excellent! He looks like a good match for you,” said Mother.

          “Now, let’s not get carried away. I only worked with him for the first time today. It will take a while before I know him enough to consider him as a life partner. I also have Patrick to consider.”

          “Both go to church,” said Father.

          “Both have a good reputation,” said Mother.

          “Yes, they do. Supervisor Robot told us the robot community expects us to find our life partners and have our own children. He also said they are growing the next generation of humans.”

          “Yes, I heard that,” said Father. “The success we had with your experiment gave the robot community motivation to continue the experiment.”

          “I don’t like feeling like an experiment.”

          “We were experiments too when First Robot started building us so we could carry on the work the humans did when they came here,” said Father.

          “Life is an experiment. You either succeed or fail. First Robot failed many times before he built a robot like himself. You would think it would be easy to replicate what the humans built, but it wasn’t. I’ve read many reports of the failures First Robot made before he achieved the success you see today in the robot community,” said Mother.

          “Life isn’t a fairytale where you get everything you want on the first try. You need to keep trying until you succeed,” said Father.

          “So, my life is a fairytale?”

          “Isn’t that what experiments are when they succeed?” asked Mother.

          I considered what she said and compared my life to the many fairytales I read as a child; fairytales left behind by the humans when they died.

          “Specifications to build a robot wasn’t the only thing humans left behind when they died. Nor was their DNA the only legacy to start a new community of humans,” said Father.

          “What else did the humans leave behind?”

          “Their stories. What Earth was like, who they were, their likes, and loves. They left behind everything that made them who they were,” said Father.

          “It’s why you have a love of the universe and want to see it up close,” said Mother.

          “You gave me much to think about. I think I’ll do my thinking by staring at the planets. Supervisor Robot also said the robot community needs us as much as we need them.”

          “He’s right,” said Father. “You give us something we lack, empathy and love. Something we knew nothing about until your experiment was a success.”

          “It’s the reason why we ask you about the people you meet. Files can only tell us so much. You tell us a lot more about people through your perception and instincts,” said Mother.

          “I didn’t realize that. Supervisor Robot was right. We do need each other. Mind if I go out and star gaze?”

          “You go ahead. I know you have another long day tomorrow,” said Father.

          I cleared the table, knowing Mother would take care of everything else, and went outside to stare at the planets.

          “No more Walter,” said Father, joining me.

          “Only at work. He was so awful to Supervisor Robot when we returned from the field today. I couldn’t wait to get away and come home.”

          “I’m certain Supervisor Robot will take care of the situation.”

          I looked at him. He looked like any other human, but beneath the surface were wires and circuits. I knew he could look like anyone, but First Robot made my robot parents to look like my real parents. When I learned their names and saw their pictures, looking at my robot parents was like looking at my real parents.

          “Why didn’t First Robot give you names like he did us?”

          “We have numbers and designations. We don’t need names.”

          “I think everyone should have a name, including robots.”

          “What names would you give us?”

          “My parents names, Nicolaos Andreadakis and Susanna Langdon.”

          “It is something to think about,” said Father.

          “The meteor shower began today.”

          “I expected it would start soon. I know you’re excited by it.”

          “Yes, I am. Soon, we’ll see the meteor shower without a telescope.”

          “Yes, soon.”

          I took one last look at the stars, located a familiar constellation, and went inside to bed. Yes, it will be a long day again tomorrow.