23 November 2013

Robots, teddy bears and apparently I have a thing for the name Amelia

These two stories are not related, they actually take place in many years in the future and many years in the past but I still somehow managed to put the name Amelia in both. I really love the name and I suppose if I ever have a daughter then at least she will have stories to read that have her name in them.

Now enjoy the past two stories and my next post will include a picture of the caterpillar Scott drew for my first story!

Joie de vivre mes amis!

21 November 2013

A Robot, An Android and A Teddy Bear

Deep in the furthest reaches of space is a station full of trash. Ever since people overpopulated earth and began expanding out into space the amount of garbage increased tenfold. Many things ended here but mostly it was prototypes and toys of days past. The station could almost be a history museum of sorts if it didn't look so much like a heaping pile of broken metal and cloth.

In this rubble were two beings. One was Prototype 2024 Android 1.0 named Andy by his human owners. The other was a robot created in 2012. They had spent many years together in the rubble. Andy and Bot, as he was referred to by Andy, had become the closest to friends that two non-animal things could be. Bot was very basic. He was one of the first household robots that were meant to be a “friend” for people. Andy was the very first android created and was built to be a companion and helper to people. They had a great understanding of each other and wander the rubble station together.

Over the years the two had found many reminders of what their lives had been before but one day they stumbled upon something neither had seen before. Andy knew all in the world there was to know because the humans made him this way and he knew this was a toy for children before robots became their friends.

“Bot, what we have here is a common child's play toy called a teddy bear. It gave children comfort and joy in the days before we came along” said Andy as he picked up the toy. “It looks like it has a name on the manufacturer's tag. It says, This Bear Belongs To: AMELIA.

“Andy this rubble was placed here just last week. Do you think this bear belonged to a girl on another station? Does she miss her teddy bear?”

“She does miss her teddy very much. Her teacher said 'Amelia you are 10 now. It is time to get rid of this toy and grow up' Amelia cried when her teacher threw it away.”

“Hello fellow android,” said Andy, “do you have a name or number?”

“I was not given a name I am just Android 7.2 serial number 6589942. I was the school android but was replaced by Android 8.0.”

“Andy we have to take teddy back to her. She must be so sad without her bear! We spend our days just wandering! Let's go take the bear to her and have an adventure! There are old ships here we could reboot one and find Amelia! Android 7.2 where does she live?”

“She lives on Valencia, the elite spacecraft that orbits earth. They have an open bay near the trash receptacles. I was left here with a personal craft. It works, the humans were just no longer interested in it. It is just over that garbage heap over there,” Android 7.2 pointed towards the craft that looked only slightly scratched from transportation.

“Thank you Android 7.2 for your assistance. Would you like to accompany Bot and I to Valencia?”

“No thank you Andy. My time there is over and I shall remain here as I have expired my uses on Valencia.”

Andy and Bot grabbed teddy and headed towards the personal craft. It was as Android 7.2 had described it, in good condition and worked just fine. Bot couldn't drive, he was too basic but Andy could and off they went! Andy knew where Valencia was. He had never been there but it was completed shortly before he was sent to the rubble ship.

The ride to Valencia was short but spectacular! The friends had been on the rubble station for so many years that they forgot what it looked like away from mountains of metal and thrown away technology. The never ending black universe with speckles of suns dotted along the horizon were so dearly missed by the friends.

“We haven't left our current home in so long Andy! Look at all those ships and worlds! Can we keep this personal craft and visit other places after we give Amelia her teddy?”

“Well Bot I suppose we could. We traveled all over the rubble station I suppose other places might be more exciting to see.”

Valencia was a beautiful station. It was a small place and Amelia was easy to find. The pretty little girl was elated to see her old friend and was extremely grateful to the friends. As a token of her gratitude, she gave the friends a ship travel visa so they could visit all the far off places they could find. With their mission complete Andy and Bot left Valencia to travel space and see all the universe had to offer.

22 November 2013

The Wind Carries Our Stories

Once upon a time there was a princess named Amelia. She was a curious, bright little girl who loved to sit on the balcony and feel the wind on her face on a sunny day. She loved to feel the tickle of the breeze on her cheek but she always felt like the wind spoke to her.

“Maman, why do we have wind? Why does the breeze touch my cheek and tell me of our people?”

“My sweet Ami, the wind shares our stories with the world. Each little breeze collects your thoughts and memories and gives you the thoughts and memories of others. It helps us all be one with each other,” explained the queen. “What has the wind told you?”

“The wind enjoys to play. It tells me of the little girls and their dolls made of hay. It tells me of the happy villagers at the market trading goods. It tells me of the naughty little boys and the tricks they play on their poor mothers. The wind also shows me sadness. Maman why does the wind show me sadness?”

The queen was disheartened to see her child experience pain at such a tender age but she knew that being a future queen she would need to understand it so the queen explained, “sadness, mon chéri, is a part of life. Happiness gives us hope, sadness brings us realism. We must have sadness to have happiness. You see, Amelia, it is our duty to listen to the winds and hear what our people say. We must understand how they feel so we may have less sadness and more joy. Understand the sadness mon cher and then spread the joy. Joie de vivre is our motto princess and it is your duty.”

Amelia understood what her maman had explained and with a kiss on the cheek thanked her. That evening on her balcony she felt the tender breeze grace her face. She felt the grief of a lost child, the pain of an aging man and the ache of an unattainable love. It was her duty to face the sadness and spread the hope of happiness. As the wind began to move on she whispered the family motto to it. She knew that one day her words would help her be queen and help her people believe she knew them and their needs.

Joie de vivre. Joie de vivre. Joie de vivre.

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