Damn, That's a Pretty Bridge (Pt. 2)

 Though the excessive exhaust pouring from the outlets would seem to express a great effort, the platform floats gracefully through the air like a paper airplane. It lands softly on the bridge like a leaf after the wind has gone. The two robots, large and constructed and inhumanly human as they look, walk smooth and silent like dancing ghost. [What is the expected time interval until job completion] one of them asks.

               “Aw, shucks,” says Ricky, “I’d say what with the lazerin’ done and them there alkaline shafts un graphed then all what’s there left’d be takin’ out the key shards, and you knows me and my boy, Bobby, here is some workers if you had never had seen none -“

               “We’ll be done in a few clicks to hifgh gray, gentlebots,” says Bobby.

               [Your shift ends at low black. This must be completed this cycle.]

               “We’ll take care of it.”

               [That is acceptable. Carry on.]

               They pirouette and start back to their “magic-carpet” when Ricky says, “Hold up there for a moment, bots, would you kindly, if yous wouldn’t mind me askin’ yous a quick question now would you?”

               “Ricky, we got work to do.”

               “If’n they got the time to hear me out it’d take but only a tic or two if’n they’d just hear me for a tic.”

               [Yes. What is your query.]

               “Well, yous see, it’s not that I’m complaining or nothin’ like that or the sort but I was just wonderin’ what with yous robo guys, or yous gentlebots if you’d have it, what with your being all mechanical like you are and what not, I was just wonderin’ whys it is that we even need to be the ones doin’ this, since you know, it’s just kinda’ what yous bots or what haves you seem to be really good at doin’ without us, ya know?”

               Bobby dropped his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

               [What is the purpose of you inquiry?]

               “Just drop it, will ya, Ricky? We ain’t got too many ticks before high gray and I don’t wanna’ be here til’ the black sets in.”

               Ricky waves a hand dismissively in Bobby’s direction. “Well, yous see, I’m just askin ‘cause you know what with Marty and the other guys havin what had happened to them when theys was workin back when we was puttin the thing together and buildin it up and what have you, so whats with what happened to them havin happened to them, I was just askin ‘cause it seems to be just a bit more dangerous for us to be here and workin on this here thing this high up with these here rigs and what have you just to do somethin that it I would thinks with you being robots and such like you are, I just would thinks it would be somethin that it wouldn’t be that awful difficult for yous all to do yourselves with yous bein’ what you are and what have yous.”

               [It is required that these steps be completed by humans.] Pirouette [Carry on.]

               They finish the job fairly quickly when Ricky allows Bobby to work with the burden of attempting conversation. The elevator ride down two the surface takes nearly fifteen clicks.

               “Yous ever think these things here might get stuck what with ‘em being so big and tall and what have you?”

               “I don’t think so, Ricky.”

               “It’s just that it be a damn miserable shame to get stuck in one of these here elevators in the middle of going up or coming down from the Skyway cause then, you know, what would ya do?”

               “If it did get stuck, I’m sure some robots would fly over and get us out.”

               Snort, “Yeah, well, yeah, I’m guessin that’s what they would do if that there were to happen. Damn robots always the damn answer to everything what whichever problem it ya might have. Damn robots always flying around with their them magic carpets and walkin round like ballerina ninjas and what have you and talkin like they were some one of them things straight outta that there show, you know, the one with the doctor what with -“

               “Don’t bad mouth the robots, Ricky. We’d be fucked without ‘em.”

               “Yeah, well, yeah, I’m guessin you’re right but they don’t gotta be so fuckin’ self righteous or whatever it is or what have yous. And ya knows something there Bobby boy, if I remembers something for a change, I remembers that they used to says we’d be fucked without a sun too but we’s still here standing right here now not a bit as fucked as they’d says we woulda been without it, ain’t we?”

               “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

               They eventually reach the surface level. The elevator is attached to a small lobby and maintenance unit about the size of a studio apartment in queens. The lobby is empty except for a rugged and worn man sleeping in the corner on a matt amassed of cardboard scraps and discarded pieces of cloth. “Well, sees you around there, kid. Stay outta trouble, ya hear me.”

               “I hear you, Ricky. See you around.” They part ways and Ricky walks down Caulson heading down to the black light district and Bobby went up Hill to head home. After walking through his front door, Bobby removed his rig and under clothes and put them in the appropriate containment hatches before decontaminating completely and going through his second front door. A quick shower and a beer during The Late Show later, he decides to call it a night. In his room, he picks up the link cable and puts in the port behind his ear. Bobby, tired from a long day of work, plops down in his chair, and falls right off to sleep.