Ted Meets Rosie
It was a day that started like any other. Ted the tiny robot’s timer went off. He powered up, brushed himself off with his bristle brush hands, jumped from his shelf, and climbed down the stairs to breakfast. The inventor was sitting at the table already. He was drinking his coffee, reading his paper, and eating his cereal. Ted said, “Good morning.” The inventor said, “Good morning, Ted.”
Ted sat down on top of the table. As usual, Ted didn’t eat anything because he’s a robot, but he looked at the fresh battery on his plate and sighed. His energy was low, but he didn’t feel ready for a new battery. The inventor put down his paper, made a funny face, and told Ted that he had an itch on his left shoulder blade that he just couldn’t reach. He asked if Ted would scratch it for him. (That’s exactly what his bristle brush hands are for.) So he hopped up on the inventor’s chair and gave him a half hearted scratch on the back. The inventor glanced over at Ted and suspected something wasn’t quite right.
It was a very quiet breakfast. The only sounds were the birds outside, the crunch crunch crunch of the inventor eating his cereal, and the occasional whirring of Ted’s gears. When the inventor was done he looked at Ted and asked, “What’s the trouble tiny robot?” Ted didn’t know what to say. All he knew was that he felt like being sad and he didn’t know why. He just looked at the checked table cloth and brushed around some crumbs. (Bristle brush hands are handy that way.)
“Hmm,” said the inventor, “Ted, I’m probably going to be working late tonight. In fact, even when I come home, I’ll probably keep working downstairs at my work bench.” Ted didn’t even look up. He just said, “Well, I guess I’ll just hang out here with the big brown dog then. And later go upstairs and shut down for the night.” He ended that last sentence with a heavy sigh. Ted’s antennas drooped as the inventor said goodbye and walked out the door.
Ted tried to figure out how to spend his day. He just didn’t feel like doing anything. He walked from the kitchen to the living room, clunk shuffle, clunk shuffle. He sighed. He walked form the living room to the t.v. room, clunk shuffle, clunk shuffle. He sighed. He walked from the t.v. room back to the kitchen, clunk shuffle, clunk shuffle, shuffle, shuffle. The big brown dog was lying by the fridge. The big brown dog lifted his head, looked at Ted and asked, “Why the long antennas, Ted? “I don’t know,” said Ted. I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m wound up, I’m tired, and I just feel, well, I don’t know.” “Sounds to me like you’re feeling detached,” said The big brown dog. “Detached?” asked Ted. “What’s that?” The big brown dog thought about it then said, “That’s when you feel like shuffling around and sighing a lot.” “Oh, said Ted. “Then yes, I’m feeling very detached.”
After a lot of shuffling around the house, and more sighing, Ted finally went up to his room. He hopped up to his shelf, but didn’t feel like shutting down. Ted soon heard the front door open, and knew that the inventor was home, but Ted heard him just go to the basement and keep working. Hours went by, and the sky outside the window was very dark, but the moon was very bright. Ted thought, everyone must be asleep by now, everyone in the whole world. Ted sat still, not shut off, but not really on either. He felt very alone. All of the sudden, he heard a noise. It was quiet, but definitely something he’d never heard before.
Ted sat up, his antennas popped out. He jumped down and quietly walked toward the door. He heard the sound again. It was a whirring, a very quiet sort of buzzing sound. “Strange, very strange,” thought Ted. He climbed down the stairs. He got to the kitchen and…”Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt ka-shhhhhhhhhh,” there it was again. “Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt ka-shhhhhhhhhhhh.” Ted was not afraid, he could tell now that the sound was coming from the basement. He pushed through the doggie door and slowly went down the stairs.
He saw a single light shining down on the inventor’s work bench. Sitting there, all alone, was another tiny robot! Ted jumped up onto the bench and sat down next to it. The robot turned, and blinked with friendly electric blue eyes. Ted was startled, but not scared. This robot wasn’t finished. The robot asked, “Where am I?” Ted said, “You’re here, I’m Ted, what’s your name?” “Well, I think my name is Rosie, I heard someone calling me that.” “Oh, that was probably the inventor,” said Ted. Rosie said, “I’m a little scared and confused, where is everyone?” “Don’t worry,” said Ted. “Everyone is sleeping, I think you’re supposed to be sleeping too – maybe you powered up too soon?” “Maybe,” said Rosie.
Ted looked at her and said, “I’ll stay here with you until the morning. You should shut down for a while, I bet you’re tired.” Rosie tried to set her timer, but couldn’t reach it. Ted said, “Let me get that for you.” With his bristle brush hands, he carefully set her timer, but before Rosie shut down she said, “Thank you, it’s nice to meet you, Ted.” Ted replied, “It’s nice to meet you too, Rosie.”
Ted set his timer as well, shut down, and sat next to Rosie on the workbench the whole night. The next morning the inventor walked to his work bench and saw Rosie and Ted sitting together. Ted powered up when his timer went off and saw the inventor standing by the bench. He was smiling. The inventor said, “Good morning, Ted. You are an excellent robot and friend.” Ted said, “Thank you, I sure hope Rosie thinks so too.” The inventor asked, “how are you feeling today?” Ted said, “much better, I think I’m feeling very attached.”
The End.
