Carpathia 04

--- 04.

>As you smoke a cigarette out on your back balcony, Derby watches you.
>It's been a long time since you have smoked.
>Your nerves need it.
>Just as always, she smiles.
>Since you had one of those closed off balconys, you let the ponybot follow you outside.
>She followed you into the bathroom when you did your morning routine.
>It was kind of awkward taking a piss with her standing right behind you.
>Luckily, she didn't try to follow you into the shower when you went in.
>She just sat outside the curtain.
>Smiling.
>You tried to ask her what her 'dream' was about.
>But she only stated she didn't remember.
>It's hard for you to believe that she can even have a dream.
>Maybe it's a pre-programmed response?
>As you smoke, you watch one of Derby's eyes follow a bird soaring through the sky.
>She turns her head to track its movement.
>When it is out of sight, Derby extends her wing out and looks over at it.
>You can practically hear the gears turning in her head.
>Maybe you should have just left the wing detached...
"Derby, do you want to fly?"
>The ponybot looks away from her wing and back to you.
>The wing drops and hangs limply at her side.
>For a moment she doesn't say anything.
>Then-
>"No. I don't like that."
>Your brow furrows.
>Shouldn't she be programmed with an 'instinct' to fly?
>"Derby doesn't want to fly. Derby wants to stay on the ground, with you."
>Oh, that's actually kind of cute.
>It would be a lot cuter if she didn't sound like her pet fish just died though.
>"Derby will never leave Anonymous. Derby promises."
>You look back at the sky, smoke drifting past your eyes.
"Yeah..."

-

>You have to leave.
>It's time to go to work.
"Derby, I have to go to work now, okay?"
>She sits on the couch, smiling at you as you put your shoes on.
"Hey, I didn't think of this, but are you going to be fine with your battery life while I'm at work?"
>Derby looks down.
>"My charge is at seventy-nine percent. Derby will plug herself in to charge when battery life drops below forty percent."
>Well that takes care of that.
>You stand up and take out your car keys.
"Okay, Derby. I'm going now. Maybe you should just go into sleep-mode until I'm back?"
>She just stares at you from the couch.
>You really don't want to leave her alone in your apartment.
>Didn't really think of that when you decided to order a ponybot.
"See you later."
>You exit your apartment and close the door behind you.
>Just as the latch catches, something slams into the door on the other side.
>It makes you recoil away.
>You can hear Derby slamming her hooves against the wood.
>It sounds like even her wing is beating against it.
>"Anonymous? Where are you?"
>Her sad little voice is muffled through the door.
>"Anonymous, don't leave Derby!"
>You quickly open the door back up.
>Derby sits smiling up at you.
>"Hello, Anonymous. Welcome home."
>You sigh and rub your temple.
>This isn't going to work.
>Thinking quickly, you enter the apartment and close the door behind you.
"Derby, I have to go to work. But how about I leave the TV on for you?"
>Derby follows you over to the couch silently.
>You pick up your remote and turn the TV on.
>Derby's attention is drawn to it immediately.
>Both of her eyes zero in on the screen.
>She's completely transfixed, standing in front of the couch.
>With a chuckle, you bend down and pick her up.
>She's light.
>Maybe around forty pounds.
>Her fur is soft, and her wings are covered by a surprisingly high quality batch of synthetic feathers.
>But you can still feel the solidness of metal and polymer below her coat.
>Her eyes stay fixed to the commercial on TV, but her front hooves wrap around your neck suddenly.
>You can't place her down on the couch.
>She has you wrapped in a tight hug.
>Her head nuzzles under your chin as she watches the commercial over your shoulder.
>Suddenly, you want to call in sick to work.
>This is what you wanted when you ordered Derby.
>You shift your arms a bit and return the hug.
>Her belly is against your torso.
>Unbreathing.
>There is no warmth coming from her.
>But the feeling of her squeezing you close and the feeling of her coarse mane against your neck makes you close your eyes.
>'Don't leave me, please.'
>No.
>You have to go to work.
>With effort, you grab Derby's sides and peel her away from you.
>She hangs suspended in your outstretched arms, still staring at the TV behind you.
>You place her on the couch, her long tail draping over the edge and down to the floor.
"Derby, I'm leaving now."
>She stares straight at the TV.
>"I want to watch Titanic."
>You raise an eyebrow.
>Oh, that's right.
>Last night she watched that documentary.
>Luckily, you actually have a copy of The Titanic on DVD.
>A gift long ago from your mother.
>You go over to your DVD rack by the TV and find it.
>Popping it into the DVD player, you grab the remote and set it up.
>After a short explaination of the controls to Derby, you get ready to leave again.
>Derby sits on the couch, lost in the world of the doomed ship.
>Her eyes seem to be glowing in waves.
>Like she's processing information.
>After work, you will plug her in and see what you can do about some of her settings.
>She lays down with her head resting on her front hooves, her red eyes never leaving the screen.
>You open the front door and look back at her.
"I'm going to work, Derby."
>She doesn't move.
"I'll be back around five."
>Her eyes are one with the TV.
>With that, you step outside and close the door behind you, locking it.
>The only sound from the other side is the faint music from The Titanic, taking Derby to another world.