Chapter 5: Trusting Rusty

Berry’s morning routine had always been simple—wake up, avoid thinking too much about school, and leave the house as quietly as possible. But since Rusty entered his life, mornings had become unpredictable.

“Berry,” Rusty’s voice buzzed as Berry pulled on his jacket, “you are behind schedule. Current lateness probability: 24.6%.”

Berry groaned, grabbing his bag. “I’m not late yet. Chill.”

Rusty followed closely as Berry headed out the door, the cool morning air cutting through his grogginess. The streets were lined with delivery drones zipping between buildings and autonomous cleaning bots sweeping the sidewalks. The faint hum of automation was a constant reminder of how far technology had advanced—and how far behind Berry often felt.

As Berry mounted his bike, Rusty jumped into the basket mounted on the front. “Optimal seating location identified. Ready for departure.”

Berry sighed. “You know, most people don’t have to argue with their pets about where to sit.”

Rusty’s tail wagged, clinking against the metal basket. “Clarification: I am not a pet. I am a KN-9 unit with advanced—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Berry interrupted. “Let’s just get to school.”

The buzz around Berry at Crescent High had yet to fade. Students who wouldn’t have given him a second glance a week ago now nodded or waved as he passed. It felt strange, like walking through a simulation where the parameters had suddenly shifted.

Tim met him near the lockers, his usual smirk firmly in place. “Morning, superstar. Ready to bask in your newfound glory?”

Berry rolled his eyes, shoving his books into his locker. “Can you not?”

Tim laughed. “Oh, come on. You’re practically a legend now. Even Lyla’s talking to you.”

At the mention of Lyla, Berry felt his cheeks heat up. “She’s just being nice.”

“Sure she is,” Tim said, waggling his eyebrows. “And I’m the president of the robotics club.”

Rusty, who had been quietly observing, chose this moment to chime in. “Fact check: Tim is not affiliated with the robotics club.”

Tim burst out laughing. “Your KN-9 is brutal, man.”

Berry sighed, shutting his locker. “Let’s just get to class.”

By the time lunch rolled around, Berry was starting to regret bringing Rusty to school again. The KN-9’s quirks, while endearing to Berry, were drawing a little too much attention for his liking.

As he sat at his usual table with Tim, Lyla approached, her KN-9 trotting obediently beside her. She set her tray down and smiled. “Hey, Berry.”

Berry froze for a moment, his brain scrambling to form coherent words. “Uh, hi.”

Lyla gestured toward Rusty. “I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday—about salvaging him from the junkyard. It’s impressive that you got him working again.”

Berry shrugged, trying to play it cool. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

Rusty, however, had other plans. “Correction: significant effort was required. Berry spent approximately 14 hours on repairs and adjustments.”

Berry’s face turned bright red. “Rusty!”

Lyla laughed, the sound light and genuine. “Well, it shows. He’s unique, that’s for sure.”

Her KN-9, a sleek model named Bolt, tilted its head toward Rusty. “Unit Rusty, your design is… unconventional.”

Rusty’s glowing eyes flickered. “Observation noted. Your frame appears… overly standardized.”

Tim spat out his drink, laughing so hard he nearly fell off his chair. “Oh man, Rusty just called your KN-9 basic!”

Lyla chuckled, shaking her head. “I guess you’ve programmed him with some attitude.”

Berry hesitated, unsure how much to admit. “Uh, not exactly. He kind of… came that way.”

Lyla’s curiosity deepened. “That’s interesting. If you’re okay with it, I’d love to take a closer look sometime. Maybe I can help tweak his programming.”

Berry’s heart skipped a beat. “Yeah, sure. That’d be… cool.”

Before the conversation could go further, a loud commotion erupted from across the cafeteria. Jason’s KN-9, a top-of-the-line model named Shadow, had lunged at another student’s drone, sending it crashing to the ground.

“Shadow!” Jason barked, pulling the KN-9 back. “What the hell are you doing?”

The cafeteria fell silent as everyone watched the scene unfold. Shadow’s eyes glowed an angry red, its body tensed like a predator ready to strike. The other student scrambled to pick up their damaged drone, their face pale.

Jason glanced around, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. “It’s fine! He just… got a little excited.”

Berry frowned. KN-9 units weren’t supposed to act like that. Their behavior was governed by strict programming to prevent aggression. Something about Shadow’s reaction felt off.

Rusty, who had been observing quietly, finally spoke. “Unit Shadow is displaying irregular behavior. Recommendation: diagnostics required.”

Jason’s glare shot toward Berry and Rusty. “Why don’t you keep your junkyard mutt out of this?”

Berry clenched his fists, anger bubbling in his chest. “At least Rusty doesn’t attack people.”

Jason sneered, stepping closer. “You think you’re better than me just because you got lucky in one race?”

Before Berry could respond, Lyla stepped between them, her voice firm. “Jason, back off. You’re the one who needs to get your KN-9 under control.”

Jason opened his mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it. With a final glare, he stalked away, Shadow trailing behind him.

The tension in the cafeteria eased, and conversations slowly resumed. Lyla turned back to Berry, her expression softening. “Are you okay?”

Berry nodded, though his hands were still shaking. “Yeah. Thanks.”

She smiled. “Anytime.”

That evening, Berry sat in his room, his thoughts racing. Jason’s KN-9 had been aggressive before, but this was different. Something was wrong, and Berry couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t an isolated incident.

Rusty, sitting by the workbench, tilted his head. “Your stress levels are elevated. Suggestion: engage in a calming activity.”

Berry sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not that simple, Rusty. Something’s wrong with Shadow, and I don’t know why.”

Rusty’s eyes glowed brighter. “Analysis: irregular behavior in KN-9 units is rare but not unprecedented. Possible causes include corrupted firmware, external interference, or unauthorized modifications.”

Berry sat up straighter. “Modifications? Like someone messing with its programming?”

“Correct,” Rusty replied. “Such alterations are prohibited under KN-9 usage regulations.”

Berry frowned, his mind racing. “If someone’s tampering with KN-9s… that could be dangerous.”

Rusty’s tail wagged slightly. “Suggestion: investigate further. Assistance available upon request.”

Berry smiled faintly. “Thanks, Rusty. I might take you up on that.”