I ground my feet to a halt. My armor tingled, me having kept it on in case of a fight whilst traveling around here. I turned heel and looked over to see a machine standing in front of that rock I passed.
...I... I didn't see it coming. I should feel the electricity or power source of a machine. In fact, I see the information contained in data in machines no differently than I see human minds in most cases.
So I am utterly astounded in this second that I did not see that coming. I couldn't sense that machine. There's no way it avoided my notice by just waiting behind that rock!
[ROBOT] "HM HM... HM HM..." It hummed, stepping over to me through the dust. Its eyes blinked with different colors every time it vociferated a sound; "WOULD YOU CARE FOR A CUP OF COFFEE? MY COFFEE QUOTA HAS ALMOST BEEN FULFILLED HERE. ONE MORE CUP AND I MUST MOVE ON TO THE NEXT DESIGNATION TO OF-"
'No. Wait.' I interrupted it. It tilted its head at me.
I blinked at it, squinting my eyes. I stared long and hard at the mug it held. It was an ordinary mug, but-
[ROBOT] "YOU RECOGNIZE IT."
'I do." I said, taking an uneasy step back. 'And I recognize you. You gave me tea last time, not coffee. And you didn't give it to me in this mug despite holding it in front of my face. You gave it to me in a cup. A plastic one.'
[ROBOT] "SO YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION. THAT IS GOOD, DA'AT."
[MAJORDOMO] "What did he call us?"
[ROBOT] "DA'AT. I CALLED YOU DA'ATH."
Me and Majordomo both stared at this machine silently.
[MAJORDOMO] "Wait..." Until subconscious broke the silence; "You SEE me...?!"
[ROBOT] "YES, TAURUS. AND NOW THAT I CONFIRM YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION, I AM GLAD." The machine said. And then, the mug it held filled with coffee for seemingly no reason. Black, and hot. It handed me the mug.
[ROBOT] "PAYING ATTENTION IS THE GREATEST VIRTUE YOU CAN AFFORD, DA'AT. I WANT TO TELL YOU A STORY."
'Okay.' I said, raising the mug and taking a sip; 'Shoot.'
[ROBOT] "FOR NOW, I WILL SPEAK TO YOU AS SENEX."
[SENEX] "MY STORY IS SIMPLE, BUT COMPLEX. IT COMES IN PARTS. AND IT GOES LIKE THIS..."
BGM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMnxjdGTK4w 