518 Sols - Seeking Companionship is Natural

Survival is what drives us all, and forming groups increases the chances of survival. That is why humans feel the need to socialize.

Propagating the species is what drives us all, and finding a partner is what increases the chances of propagation. That is why humans feel the need to love and be loved.

And this is why human nature remains foul.

When the woman was left all alone, widowed on the empty foreign planet, she felt firsthand those basic human needs, yet she had no way to fulfill them. All she could do was count her long sols until her mind would completely break.

That was until she finally met another lonely man.

At first, she felt it was wrong to fall for somebody else. Only rarely did she act on her wishes, but he was patient. He stayed there with her.

It went well for a while, until the man told her it would be appropriate to take off her wedding ring now that she had somebody else.

"That was unacceptable. He deserved what he got for asking something like this. It's not my fault. I just panicked when he touched my hand."

The next man who found her was kinder to her. She didn't know how to act, so she stayed mostly silent as if she was scared of her new partner. The man did not mind it, but he was unlucky enough to find a body buried behind the house. He did not even get the chance to ask Belle about it.

"It's not my fault. He had no business digging around my house. He did this to himself. I have to find another spot."

After a couple more partners, she finally understood. This was survival. This was what she needed. She needed a partner to survive.

She slowly adapted. Changing her personality to match the partner. She welcomed anyone who would stumble across her. Going out of her way to attract people was also something she found intriguing, so she built her net across a wide area. That way she would have the time to prepare whenever new prey would be within her grasp.

That's how No. 7 spent her sols hunting. All the while looking for the prey that would keep her fed for life.

...

"Truly a greedy one. No wonder she got her number so early. Makes you wonder just who she used to be back on Earth."

Those were the first words that 1441 heard when he woke up.

Opening his eyes, he noticed the face of the same woman he last saw before fainting. Her head was right above his, looking intensively at him.

"A lap pillow is the last thing I was expecting from the lab lady."

"Don't be stupid. First confirm what you are standing on." She answered him with a straight face while fixing her glasses. That's when 1441 noticed that she was not focused on him but on working on his scalp.

With his hand, he tried to confirm what was below his head. At first, he sensed, as expected, the legs of the lady he was talking with, but after getting his wrist slapped and his hand moved a bit above the legs, he finally noticed. Between her lap and his head, there was a cleverly designed workbench.

"Wait. Workbench? What are you working on?

"Stop moving your head! I am almost finished."

"That doesn't answer my question!"

"Ahhh...fine. I am fixing the injuries you got when you fell here. And, done."

1441 quickly got up and felt his head.

"Thanks. But I don't remember asking you to do this."

"Did you prefer I would just let you die here?"

Thinking about it, he was the only one who hit the ground but woke up in one piece. How did she manage that?

"Don't tell me you just switched my members with those lying around."

"No need for that. Your body is actually really intriguing. Despite easily fixable injuries, you stayed mostly in one piece. I will have you on my operation table later to find out what you are really made of."

"I will pretend you didn't say that. Anyway, thank you. I guess I would have been a goner without you."

"Don't mention it. You've been through enough already with that lady. Ann, was it. Or do you prefer No. 7?"

1441 pulled out the folded paper with a "7" drawn on it.

"That doesn't seem like any good evidence though."

"You know the rumor about the South Pole exploration team? They say that the man who went there later became patient zero..."

1441 explained to the lady everything he discovered. The infected South Pole glacier. The rumor about the man who went there and came back with the virus. How the whereabouts of his wife were unknown after his passing. Finally, he told her about the sols he spent with No. 7.

"So that's how you all got here. Haha, I knew it."

"I don't think this is the appropriate reaction."

As much as she tried, the lady whose demeanor was screaming "science" could not hide her enthusiasm.

"I mean, this is mostly what I was theorizing. How can I not be happy to find out that I was right?"

1441 sighed for being reminded why he was not a fan of this trope, yet he somehow admired how detached she was from normal human emotions. Maybe that's where true peace lies.

"So, you somehow made it out alive. Going back for revenge?"

"No. Not for revenge."

"Oh? Then what is the plan?"

"I have a little robot waiting for me. I don't know if that thing cares about who it hangs out with, but I am a selfish guy. I want it back. Cya."

Saying that, 1441 got up on his legs, and with his newfound determination, he started climbing the tall wall.

After 15 minutes of intense climbing, he felt himself being picked up. Looking back, he saw the lady he left behind pulling him in a vehicle that seemed to not care about gravity.

"You thought you were getting away? You owe me, and I plan to put you on that operation table."

1441 let out a laugh. "Haha! You got a name, Lady?"

"Call me 555. I'm pretty smart, you know? Got on this Mars project fairly quick."

"That's good for you, but I don't remember asking for a number. Ray. Your name is Ray from now on."

"Ha?"

"Don't like it?"

"Tsk. Call me whatever you will."

"That was the plan."

...

In the house where the spider was carefully waiting for the next fly to get caught in her trap. Every now and then, a faint beeping sound could be heard.

"Haha. HAHAHAHAHA. So it's true! You are the one! You are back! YOU ARE COMING RIGHT BACK TO ME! Oh! What were the chances for us of all people to meet?! Ahhh! What a lucky girl I am!"

The beeping sound, as if representing a form of protest, was getting louder and louder.

*BEEP* *BEEP* BEEP

"Oh, SHUT UP! I will take care of you really soon."

"Question: What does No. 7 intend to do with No.1441"

"What did you call me? No. Where do you know that number from?"

"This unit is programmed to recognize every member of the colony. This is one of the most basic functions. Supposedly, No. 7 already knew the answer; hence, the question can denote a lack of computational power. Now, let me repeat the question. What do you plan to do to him?"

As if mocking her, the robot gave a matter-of-fact answer to the woman who did not take nicely to her number being mentioned.

No. 7 got up from her desk and went to the place where Soj was being held captive.

The robot tried to move, but its own body didn't seem to listen to it.

"Sit!"

As if taking orders from its master, the body of the robot automatically returned to its original place.

"Hah. I guess this high authority level has some perks after all."

The robot could do nothing but obey the commands it was given. Or at least that is what No. 7 thought. In fact, she could not see how Soj was in the middle of reprogramming its own base functions.

Unfortunately, that didn't matter for how the next scene would unfold.

"Now, let's see what I can make out of you."

That was the last thing the robot's memory recorded.