Always remembered

In the Great Dump, Chu Mu followed his memory to that familiar place.

Over the past year, he had come every weekend, missing only once.

But today, he was several days earlier than usual, and only a thin layer of snow covered the ground.

At the boy's arrival, the red light in the eyes of the robot slumped amid the ruins began to brighten, and he spoke:

"Four hundred thousand, six thousand, two hundred, seventy-one seconds. This time, you, arrived, much, earlier."

Six hundred and four thousand, eight hundred seconds was one week, the interval Chu Mu had agreed on with him.

Normally, Chu Mu would only appear after five hundred and fifty thousand seconds had passed, during the daylight hours of the weekend.

"Svarog, I won't be coming this weekend, so I came early to see you," Chu Mu said quietly.

"All right, I understand. I will, wait again, until, next weekend," Svarog said gently.

Chu Mu fell silent.

Then Svarog looked at the beautiful woman behind Chu Mu, checked his friendly life-form records, and said:

"This woman, is not, the lady, from, last time."

"That's right." Chu Mu nodded and introduced her to him. "This is Kafka."

Kafka looked at Svarog in surprise, then at Chu Mu, seemingly astonished by how wide the boy's circle of friends was.

Svarog spoke:

"Hello, Miss, Kafka. I am, Svarog. Chu Mu's, friend."

"So you're the friend A-Mu was talking about." Kafka's lips curved slightly. "A-Mu has told me about you. He said you're his best friend."

At that, Svarog asked in confusion:

"May I ask, you are, Chu Mu's..."

"I'm A-Mu's mother!" Kafka cut in.

The red light in Svarog's eyes flickered. He looked at Chu Mu and asked:

"Is that, true?"

"Kafka likes to joke. Don't take her seriously." Chu Mu shook his head.

"Oh, that really breaks my heart." Kafka pressed a hand to her chest in feigned anguish.

Svarog looked at Chu Mu and asked:

"Then she, is?"

"I don't know where she's from either," Chu Mu sighed. "Never mind who she is. It doesn't matter."

"She, seems, very, close, to you." Svarog's voice was low. "Should I, add her, to the, friendly life-form, records?"

Hearing that, Kafka crouched behind Chu Mu and wrapped her arms around his waist, whispering beside his ear:

"See? Even your friend says we're close. Clearly, we get along very well."

After a pause, she said softly:

"I'd like to be added to those records. May I?"

Her breath tickled Chu Mu's ear, but he still shook his head.

"That isn't necessary, Kafka."

"But I want your friend's approval too." Kafka's tone carried a hint of feigned jealousy. "You brought another lady here last time. Was she added to the records? If she could be added, why can't I?"

"That was my teacher," Chu Mu sighed, utterly helpless against Kafka.

What was this woman up to now?

Chu Mu couldn't figure it out.

Then Kafka chuckled.

"It seems I'll have to earn that approval through my own efforts."

She stood up, walked over to Svarog, and asked:

"Which of your modules are damaged?"

"You know how to repair robots?" Chu Mu asked in surprise.

"I'm not good at it, but who says they have to be repaired?" Kafka shrugged. "Why not just replace them with new ones?"

Hearing that, Chu Mu immediately said to Svarog:

"Svarog, grant maintenance access!"

"Understood. Access, has been, granted." The red light in Svarog's eyes began to dim as he entered maintenance mode.

In this mode, touching Svarog's critical components would not trigger his self-destruct program.

Chu Mu moved aside the iron sheet sheltering Svarog from the wind and snow. Half the enormous robot's body was trapped in the ruins.

"Let me." Kafka held Chu Mu's little hand still and said softly, "Just tell me which parts to open."

"Thank you, Kafka," Chu Mu said sincerely.

"You don't need to thank me." Kafka tapped Chu Mu's forehead. "We're going to be family."

Then, following Chu Mu's instructions, Kafka removed the armor covering Svarog's body, exposing the structures inside.

Several modules were clearly damaged, their circuitry scorched black.

Kafka photographed them and sent the pictures to her companion aboard the spaceship.

After receiving the pictures, Silver Wolf looked up the models and laughed.

"They're actually chips manufactured by the Interastral Peace Corporation. These antiques are hundreds of years old. Looks like this planet used to have dealings with the Corporation's merchant ships."

"Wouldn't chips that old be out of production?" Kafka asked.

"Of course they are." Silver Wolf spoke unhurriedly. "But they were designed with future upgrades in mind, so newer chips are compatible with this old platform. We can absolutely give this big guy something better. Hang on, let me look."

A little while later, her voice came through again:

"Found them. The chips in the ship's food delivery robot happen to meet the requirements. We can swap them in!"

"Why would a food delivery robot have combat robot chips?" Kafka glanced at Svarog's massive frame and asked in puzzlement.

"You've got it backward," Silver Wolf quipped. "You should ask the scientists back then why they put food delivery robot chips into a combat robot."

Kafka was speechless.

Before long, Silver Wolf teleported the chips she had removed down to them.

Installation was simple. All they had to do was pop out the damaged chips and fit the new ones in.

Kafka also replaced some of the other chips that weren't broken but had begun to age.

Of course, she left the all-important memory module untouched.

Chu Mu waited beside her the whole time.

The Great Dump was bitterly cold, but to earn that approval, Kafka stayed there, busily working away.

That touched Chu Mu a little.

He understood that Kafka wasn't just seeking Svarog's approval. More importantly, she wanted his.

This woman was actually pretty dependable.

With the repairs successfully completed, the red light in Svarog's eyes gradually brightened.

Brighter than before!

His body, which had been unable to move for so long, began to tremble slightly.

Power was slowly being released.

The engine started, roaring!

Rubble tumbled down around him as he climbed out of the ruins that had buried him for so long.

At last, he stood on the ground once more.

His towering metal armor was imposing, radiating an intimidating presence.

But the boy couldn't see this sight, the sight he had awaited for so long.

Sensing the movement around him, he asked:

"Svarog, are you out?"

"I'm out, Chu Mu." Svarog lifted Chu Mu up and let him stand on his shoulder.

"Svarog, you still remember." An indescribable emotion colored Chu Mu's voice.

"I've always remembered," Svarog said quietly.

Once, the boy and the great robot in the ruins had made a promise: when the robot was repaired, the boy would stand on his shoulder, at the highest point, and look down over the ruins like a king reigning from on high.

Now, the boy stood at the highest point.

But he could no longer see.