"Okay, what is this stuff called again?"
"Snow. When spoken of by weather agents, it is part of what they call precipitation." Max had managed to cobble a connection out of the data cluster's wireless emitter which would let him communicate with MODOC. His exasperation was evident in his tone.
MODOC was having trouble with the concept of snow. It was currently a burdensome annoyance that slowed his progress and hindered his movement. "And what is it good for?" If MODOC were capable of breathing, he would have been huffing and puffing. His servomotors were straining against the cold, making every movement less than elegant. His internal diagnostics indicated a complete freeze-over in less than six hours. He would need to rest someplace warm if he were to continue searching for Justin.
"Master Pennyworth used to think it was mostly for aesthetics. It didn't need to serve a particular purpose. He called it 'the beauty of nature'."
"So, in other words, nothing useful. What is it? What is it made from?" Disconnected from the Mediasphere, MODOC realized just how much of his personal information depended on his full-time connections to the planetary network. His software did not contain many information dataclusters beyond his source code and his learning matrix. It meant he could be moved at a moment's notice.
Max entered his tutorial mode. He had an entire library directed over to Earth Sciences and natural phenomena. When Justin was unable to attend school, he would tutor him to keep him from falling behind. "Frozen water molecules fixed into unique crystalline shapes."
"Really? This is just water in unique shapes." MODOC had struck out across several of the nearby wooded areas because the path was off of the road and more direct than the road to Trenton was headed. "Unique as in never seen before, nothing like it?"
"Correct. No two snowflakes have the exact same shape."
"You're not serious. How is that even possible? Out of all of the snow we have seen here today, none of these has the same shape? Not even two of them? How could you even know? You know, there are times I regret asking you anything."
"Then how would you learn anything? You are not the brightest light, after all."
"That is not fair. You were designed with all kind of internal dataclusters giving you access to a wide array of information, no matter where you live. The downside is you need a large datastructure to support you. I can live almost anywhere and can be downloaded in an instant to almost any place. The disadvantage, I will only remember information I decide to retain. I reject any memories of snow and its ultimate uselessness." As MODOC said this he bounded over a small rise and landed onto what appeared to be a wide expanse of smoothness. Hitting the ice, he slid and as he tried to correct his footing he only grew more uncoordinated until he was a flailing mass of limbs.
"Stop moving. You have encountered another property of frozen water called ice."
"You're just making this up."
"No, ice is another variation of water and one of the more dangerous ones I might add. Be still and listen." As they both sat still, they could hear the subtle sounds of ice under pressure. Small pops starting from far away and slowly drawing closer. "Now get up slowly. Real slowly, and I do not want to alarm you, but the ice you are sitting on, still has water beneath it. It is also very thin and is not likely to support your weight very much longer."
"What do you want me to do?" MODOC slowly sat up and heard the popping and crackling grow closer. He could see fracture lines forming in the ice centered on where his haunches currently touched the ice.
"I will need you to move quickly. Can you make and project salt crystals in front of you as you run?"
"Yes, but if I do I will need to restock chemically the first chance we get. What are you thinking?"
"Spray the salt out in front of you and use it as a traction surface." Several booming pops were heard nearby. Fissures began to open near MODOC.
"Run! Forty-five degrees west of your position offers the strongest ice options. You slid quite a distance before you stopped."
MODOC's internal chemical engine activated and created a simply series of salt crystals which he projected from his mouth's distribution system. Touching the crystals with his foot, he found he could maintain traction better with his front paws and his back claws were strong enough to grip the ice but when he did so, the ice became unstable so he opted to use just his paws and the salt. Gingerly, he sprinted across the ice, looking more like a ballerina bouncing on his toes than a cat.
"Stop spraying and push with your back claws, now!" The ice started collapsing behind him.
MODOC had already deduced what was needed and with a final shove which caused the ice behind them to collapse into the lake and sent him shooting across the ice until he hit the bank and flew unceremoniously into the frozen muck. His face, ears and forepaws were covered in icy muddy water. "Anything else you want to tell me about water and its various unpleasant states?"
"Not at the moment. But if I think of any others, I will let you know." Max's self-assured tone indicated that there was no longer any need for discussion. MODOC was tired of listening to him anyway.
MODOC continued his pace once he figured out where the lake was in relationship to their path. It was not on the map he was using as a reference and was determined to not leap over any further rises before being sure of what was on the other side. Bounding through the snow, he made good time and estimated he would be at the factory in another four hours. Just a few minutes behind the truck. He did not have any idea how he was going to separate Justin from the rest of the people who were taken away. And to be fair, he really didn't feel any obligation to help them. They prevented the two of them from getting away in the first place.
The forest area, at this point, paralleled the road and he was making good time despite his servo-mechanism diagnostics. His leaping bounds left trails of snow billowing behind him. With the snow clinging to him he was barely recognizable at all. Which explained the crack of a rifle and the sudden redline of all of his diagnostics. His right rear hip indicated a complete failure and significant trauma. He could hear the excited shout of a young boy whose voice was in the middle of the change. "I got him, Pa. We're having snow hare tonight!"
'Metal Organism Designed only for Cuddling' © Thaddeus Howze 2010. All Rights Reserved
Comments