Ant and Four

Ant and Four Chapter 12

This is a story about two boys growing up in the galaxy, in a distant future. Neither of them is human.

It is not an erotic tale, but one of friendship and love. The story contains no AI-generated material.

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**Ant and Four 12 - Renaissance Robot
**

by Winter

 The Fourtitude hovered, right on the edge of a gravity well. Inside the night-darkened ferry, Four could all but feel the pull from the binary system. This was as close as he dared to go. He estimated the distance to half a light year, give or take. Without enhancement, the stars barely looked brighter than the backdrop, but when he zoomed in, it was a spectacular view.

It was a dance of death; a giant, dulled by age as it reached the end of its life, and its companion, young and fiery and orders of magnitude brighter. They spun so close to one another that there was a visible stream of energy and particles being drawn from the large star to the smaller. Visible, that was, once Four had adjusted the filters on his external cameras to enhance this river of starlight, while blocking out the glare of the hotter sun.

Four, himself, was standing next to the couch, still as if asleep. All but a fraction of his mind had returned into the ferry's databanks. For him, it felt as if floating in space, watching the show with his own eyes. Four's body twitched from time to time, whenever something excited him, and occasionally his lips moved, as if he were talking. Which he was, inside his electronic mind.

"Did you see that one?" he asked, in what sounded to him like a squeal, but which in reality was just a near-instant data transfer. "It looked like an iceberg!"

"What was it?"

"Dunno. But if I had to guess, I'd say those are kinda like blocks of semi-solid light, formed by the gravitational forces. Photon snowballs."

"That sounds weird."

"You explain it better, then. I don't really have the words for it."

"I'm you, you goof! I don't know any better."

"Then why did you ask?"

"Because you wanted to know."

"This is giving me a headache." Four huffed. "Electric migraine."

"You're silly," screen Four giggled. "And you sound like Ant when you make that noise."

"How's he doing?"

"Still asleep. He's taken one-twentieth of a breath since last time you asked."

"Well, we worry about him, don't we? He keeps having bad dreams."

"According to our scanners, he's in deep sleep."

"Good. Oh look, there's another one!"

"Cool!"

The Fours kept watching the star-dance, telling each other about the wondrous sights. Ever since the attack on the Range, when Four had lost contact with his proxy body, the two aspects of his personality had been slightly out of synch. Not by much, barely even fractions of a second in outside time. But within the Fourtitude's computer, they were as separate as if they were different people. They shared the same database, the same set of programs and the same memory; the same mind. But they accessed them on their own clock.

At first, Four had been unable to repair this glitch. Now, he didn't want to. In times like this, it felt good to have someone to talk to, even if that someone was himself. When he returned to his body, there was no difference. Slowed down to outside speed, this minor quirk became insignificant. He and the Fourtitude became, again, one.

He had tried to explain it to Ant, but the wolf boy knew very little of advanced electronics, and he couldn't quite understand. To him, Four was Four; his friend. Inside the computer, both Fours smiled. Ant was so sweet. Something deep within its programs stirred, sending waves of emotion through the little ferry.

Outside, Four's body shivered slightly and it, too, smiled.

* * * * * *

Almost an hour passed, and the Fours were so lost in their observations that it took nearly a millisecond before they reacted to the alarm. At first they panicked, but then Four rushed through the airways to slam into the body. His body, now that things slowed down. Part of him, and he wasn't sure if it were screen Four or an amalgamation of the two, stayed behind to monitor the stars and run the Fourtitude's systems.

Four shook his head to settle his mind into himself, then he hurriedly sat down on the couch. Increased heartrate, the alarm had blared. Rapid eye movements and audible distress. Four could see it clearly. Ant's body was stirring, and every now and then he let out little whimpers. Poor Ant. Another dream.

The nightmares had faded during their stay in Wishing Well, but out here in the dark cold of space, they returned. Most of the time, Ant didn't remember his dreams, but when he did they all focused on the same things. Lakeview. The pirate attack. The explosion. Caleb.

Four stroked his friend's cheek, feeling sweat seep through his face fur. What would be best, to wake him up or to try and soothe while he was still asleep? The decision was taken from him. Ant jerked, and his arms reached out. When he found Four, he pulled him close, hugging him as if he were a teddy bear. Four stifled a giggle, and let himself be cuddled. Closeness calmed Ant, enough to chase the dream away. Soon the wolf boy was sleeping peacefully, and Four set his own mind to rest mode.

The stars out there, could wait. They meant very little, compared to Ant. Besides, they might continue to dance for thousands of years still, until one of them finally killed them both. Awake, Four would have found that thought sad, but he was already asleep.

* * * * * *

Like yesterday, Ant was interested when Four showed him filtered images of the binary stars on the viewscreen, but also like yesterday, his interest waned quickly. After breakfast, while Four still studied the screen intensely, Ant retreated to the workshop. Soon Four heard the steady whack, whack as a wooden mallet formed sheet metal into tin car shells.

They had stopped to sell their wares twice since leaving Laya. Once at another market, and once right in the middle of a busy city, after Ant had talked an official into giving them permission to peddle in a square. That had been fun, but stressful, and that was why the Fourtitude now hung motionless in space. Or, well, Four mused with a hint of a smile, motionless relative to the stars' system. Then again, the space immediately surrounding the little ferry, was all that really affected them. All else, was Outside.

They were supposed to be resting up, but to Ant, work was rest. Four decided that they needed to find something else to do. Something to distract, to relax. He sent a request to his datanet connection; search for fun.

Camping had been fun. Extanea had been all the brochures promised. The Fourtitude had set down at a parking lot, then they had caused a minor commotion walking into a small town. That bit hadn't been very fun. But, once people realised that they were tourists, and that Ant wouldn't bite, they were able to rent a small tent and a couple of sturdy backpacks.

Four had really enjoyed the solitude of the lush forest. All around them were little animals scurrying to and fro, and the mornings were filled with birdsong. Evenings saw the two of them sitting by a campfire. Not really doing anything at all. Just relishing the quiet, and grilling sticky, yummy marshmallows.

Sleeping inside the tent, now that had been another kind of adventure. Wolves and sleeping bags, it turned out, were not a good combination. Fur and zippers, even worse. After much muttering and some cursing about no room for a tail, Ant had thrown his bag out, and in the end they opened up Four's sleeping bag and tucked themselves in underneath it.

It felt very much like cuddling, and Four had been a happy robot.

* * * * * *

The crusts on the eggplant slices were browning nicely, and the _Fourtitude'_s scanner showed that the potatoes were just about done. Four turned the hotplates off, and dipped his pinkie into the cheese sauce. It tasted salty and tangy, just the way he liked it, and the heat from the peppers would make Ant happy. Humming to himself, Four quickly chopped up a small salad, then started filling the plates. A large one for Ant, a smaller one for him. His robot body could eat, but not very much at a time. That didn't really matter, though, because he didn't need the nutrition. His body would separate the water, and use it to either keep his batteries charged, or to grease his joints. The rest would be burned, to keep him warm.

Ant sniffed the air when he came out of the workshop, then licked his lips. Electronic emotions surged through Four, showing in a happy smile. He liked cooking. Even back when he was just a mode of transportation, he had enjoyed treating his passengers to meals. Mostly coffee and sandwiches, true, but taking care of people at any level made him happy. He didn't remember much from back then, since his memory had been wiped from time to time, but the general idea still stayed in his mind.

"That looks great," Ant said, stealing one of the small potatoes that Four had just strained. "Ouch, hot!"

"Oh, you." A quick, mildly distressed scan showed no real damage, and Four relaxed before worry could show on his face. "See the vapour? That means it's warm."

"I knew that."

Four just shook his head, and smiled again. Ant didn't know much about cooking. From what he had told Four during their time together, almost a whole standard year by now, meals in the Mining Belt consisted of nothing but a flavourless, porridge-like slop. While onboard the Morning Calm the crew ate whatever they could scrounge up without having to cook. The result was that pretty much everything Four could make, set the wolf boy drooling.

They were sitting on the couch, watching a comedy show on the local telenet while Four nibbled and Ant munched, when a green dot appeared in the lower right corner of the screen.

"What's up?"

"My search," Four said excitedly. "I found something."

"Found what?"

"Dunno yet. We'll have to check."

"How come you don't know what you, yourself, have found?"

"Because I'm busy having dinner, of course! Don't be a silly wolf."

"Whatever." Ant shook his head, making Four giggle. "So what is it?"

"Mind if I pause the show?"

"You can switch it off if you want. It was pretty stupid, anyway."

"Comedies are supposed to be stupid, at least a little bit. If everyone were as reasonable and sensible as you, there wouldn't be much fun."

"Are you dissing me, Four?" Ant frowned, but Four could hear in his voice that he was amused, and not angry. "I feel dissed."

"Would I really?" Four batted his eyelashes, and leaned against his friend, eliciting a huff. "I've been searching for something we can do, that isn't work or work-related."

"Like what?"

Four said nothing, instead he let the screen fill up with images. Puzzled, Ant tilted his head as he watched pictures of colourful tents, people dressed up in costumes who were painting, carving, cooking, doing all kinds of things. One picture caught his eye, and he asked Four to bring it back up. On the screen, a man and two children were working on something that looked like a miniature steam engine locomotive. Ant stood up and leaned across the coffee table to see better, his tail wagging and his meal forgotten.

"They're making a train," he said in a pitch of voice higher than his usual half-growl. "A toy train!"

"It's a place called Olde Town, on the planet Athena," Four explained. "They have a month-long medieval fair every year."

"When's it start?"

"A week ago, it seems. There's still plenty of time if we want to go."

"Do you want to, Four?"

"I think it looks like fun. There's no real rides, though, since it's supposed to be like old times."

"It looks great!"

"It says here that if we want to, we can sign up to be part of the show. Dress up and pretend to work like medieval people. I'm thinking I might be a portrait painter or something."

"I wanna be a blacksmith," Ant said, his tail wagging furiously. He turned to Four and displayed a toothy grin. "Can I be a blacksmith? Please, say I can be a blacksmith!"

* * * * * *

Four adjusted his eyeglasses again, to stop them from slipping off his nose. The bits that went around his ears and were supposed to keep them in place, didn't. He huffed. Staying in costume was one thing, but really! They could at least have modernised the props. It wasn't as if he needed them, they were just plain glass. Like looking through a window. But, he supposed, they did make him look intellectual.

The rest of his outfit gave him no troubles, even though his chalky-white wig felt a bit clumsy. There were quite a few painters already, and when Four saw how good most of them were, he lost confidence in himself. The few paintings he had made were all of him and Ant, and he found it difficult to branch out. The people here painted landscapes, portraits, even abstracts. Swirls of colour or shapes that didn't really look like anything, but were still beautiful. He had been both impressed, and a little bit depressed. He had a ways to go, to reach their level.

So when Emma, their hostess, had suggested that he become a scholar, he had jumped to it. Now he was wearing a grey cotton suit and a matching coat with long shirt tails. And a cravat, a white silk contraption that was wildly creased and covered half his chest. And a powdered wig, and glasses that refused to stay on. Emma had taken a picture, and even though Four felt mildly ridiculous, he liked his new style. He wasn't entirely sure that he looked medieval, but he was old times, for sure.

His job, at the fair, was to tell people about the old days, back on Earth. He had a red-and-white canvas stall, and two tables filled with books. There was a datanet connection, but he chose to unconnect. After all, way back when, books had been all the knowledge there was. After settling him in, Emma left him to it, and went to help Ant.

The wolf boy had protested, quite loudly, when the organisers wanted him to play a monstrous werewolf, in the fantasy part of the fair. To be honest, Four felt that he would have been perfect for the role. He barely had to dress up, and he was already adept at growling and slobbering. In hindsight, Four wished he had kept that thought to himself. There had been much huffing and pouting, and in the end Ant's innate stubbornness prevailed.

Smiling at the memory, Four opened one of his books, and showed the kids pictures of an old-time village. They ooh'ed and aah'ed over horse-powered carriages and colourful houses, then made faces at the state of the gutters. As so often happened, the young ones had been drawn to Four. To once again be honest, he did look more like a child playing dress-up, than an actual medieval scholar, and he found himself more of a storyteller than a lecturer.

And, a bit of a babysitter. Parents began leaving their children with him, while they themselves went on to look at the artisans. No matter. It felt a bit awkward, at first, to be the clear centre of attention, but Four soon began enjoying it. He had no problem keeping track of the kids, as his mind conjured up a subroutine for counting heads. Every time someone tried to sneak away, he was able to call them back. Not that it happened a lot; once he started telling stories about kings and queens, princes and princesses, brave knights and foul monsters, the young ones seemed spellbound.

When lunchtime rolled around, he ended his latest story, made sure that each child went with the right parents, and closed shop. He had a two-hour break, and since he didn't really need to eat, he decided to use his time to look around. Once more, he marvelled at the craftsmanship on display. Not just the painters, who were his main interest, but sculptors and weavers and bookbinders and metal workers caught his eye. As well as the ones making food. There were stalls that sold home-made honey, candy, pies, ice-cream, all made using old-time methods. He spent a good while watching a woman stretch and twist and roll and knead some kind of sweet-smelling dough, which in the end she cut into tiny pieces that she left to harden. Four tried one that was red-and-white, striped just like his own stall. It was chewy, and it tasted strongly of peppermint. He bought a small bag, to share with Ant.

Speaking of whom...

He came up to a wooden structure, not quite a house and not quite a stall, but half open on the side facing the street. Inside was a lit fireplace, and Four could see a jet black iron anvil. There, an old man was using a hammer to beat half-molten metal into shape. Next to him, tail wagging as he followed the man's every move, stood Ant. His face lit up when as he spotted Four, and he waved. He said something to the man, who nodded, then he trotted over.

"This is so much fun!" He was bouncing, and his toothy smile made a rush of emotions surge through Four. "We're making swords, can you believe it? Like, real swords for knights and stuff."

Four smiled. His friend had taken off his shirt, and instead he was wearing a faux leather apron. Sweat dampened his light brown fur in places, and Four could see that several strands had been mildly singed. But what really shone, was his happiness. It warmed Four's insides, to see Ant look so relaxed, so content. So very different from the Ant who often woke up grumpy after a bad dream, or who sometimes sat staring at nothing, with a half-built toy forgotten in his lap.

"But what about you? You look great!" Ant touched Four's wig, then snickered as his glasses fell off. "You look like a proper scientist."

"A scholar, prithee." Four put his elusive piece of eyewear back on, then stretched proudly. "I consult my tomes of knowledge, purveying wisdom and entertainment for the younger generation."

"You read stories to kids."

That toothy grin again. It did things to Four, on a primal level, that he couldn't even begin to put a name to. No, that wasn't entirely truthful. He did know a word for feelings like that. He just couldn't say it out loud, not even to himself, inside his own head. Instead he smiled, and swatted Ant's fingers away as he poked his cravat. It had taken Emma ten minutes to get all the creases right, and Four wasn't sure he could redo it.

"Are you free for lunch? Master Samuel said he'd let me make a blade this afternoon, but right now I'm hungry."

"I've got an hour still, before my break's up." Four let out a giggle. "Master?"

"That's what you called your teacher, in the old days. I'm his apprentice." Ant tapped his chest, and beamed with pride. "A blacksmith apprentice."

"Suits you perfectly. My Ant, always making things. Even when we're supposed to be relaxing, you work."

"It's what I do. Just like you do what you do, and make friends with the kids."

"You've seen me?"

"Emma came by a while back, to see how I was doing. She said you were a big hit." He grinned again, and his tail wagged. "Not that I doubted it, not even for a second. You're so amazing."

"Oh, you!" Squirming with both embarrassment and pleasure, Four lightly punched his friend's arm. "If I could, I'd be blushing like mad."

"Let's go get something to eat!"

* * * * * *

Days turned into a week, then two weeks. The two of them kept working at the fair, and Four couldn't have been happier. Every morning there were kids waiting for him. Some were new, some had become like old friends. When he ran out of books, he downloaded fairy tales from the datanet, then reworked them until he came up with something that was both familiar and new. Word spread, and it wasn't long until adults, too, stayed to listen.

Ant, in the meantime, finished his apprenticeship with master Samuel, by making a steel sword that Four felt was fit for a king. It had a hilt studded with realistic-looking gemstones, and a scabbard that Ant had decorated with, what else, wolves. Unfortunately, it would remain at the smithy as an exhibition piece. It would have looked great, Four thought, on the wall right next to the fish tank. Ant also made little wolf head medallions, which were sold in the fair stores. Four had just smiled and shaken his head. That was his Ant, always leaving his mark to show he had been there. As if the people who visited the fair wouldn't remember him anyway.

Before they really knew it, the last few days rolled around. It made Four a bit sad, that the fun would soon be over. He had no idea what they would do next. Ant still had it in his mind to travel as far into the galaxy as possible, and that sounded good to Four, too. But then? Well, maybe they just had to wait and see. It wasn't as if they could run out of places to visit.

Four was having a day off, and he kept returning to his favourite places. Usually, the food courts or the painters. This time, though, he was strolling alongside a small pond, which acted in lieu of a moat, to protect the fairground castle. In reality, a wooden structure with a masonry facade, but from a distance it looked almost lifelike. At least as long as he didn't use his robot eyes to zoom in. He could hear music from inside, and the sound of voices and laughter.

People would be dancing, he knew, and eating and drinking and having a really good time. The fair held these feasts three times a week, and he and Ant had visited them several times. It was fun, dancing with Ant. Neither of them knew how to do it, and occasionally they ended up tripping one another. Four liked the slow dances even better, when they would just hold each other and sway to a rhythm that sometimes coincided with the music.

A splash brought him out of his reverie, and he glanced at the pond. He let out a little squeak as a tiny fish jumped up above the surface of the water, creating another splash. More followed, until the entire pond was rippled. What a time to leave the datapad back at the Fourtitude!

"It's the heat." The growly voice made Four draw in a breath, as a surge of joy coursed through him. He didn't turn around, but kept watching the fish until a furry hand patted his shoulder. "I read about it. Sometimes the water gets stuffy, like, not enough oxygen. That's why they jump, to get more from the air."

"A-are they choking?"

"No, don't worry." The hand on Four's shoulder gave a squeeze, calming his sudden urge to, somehow, help. "It's natural. Soon as it gets cooler, they'll calm down."

"It is warm today. Wanna go inside for a dance?"

"Not really." Ant sat down on the soft grass, and Four joined him. "I've been inside all day, working on the background for the train tracks."

"Is it gonna be done for the weekend? It's the last days of the whole fair."

"I think so. As long as I can get the dragon to behave."

"Dragon?"

"I told you I was doing the fantasy part of the model railway, didn't I?"

"You did, but I haven't seen it." Four gave a slight pout. "You wouldn't let me in."

"Nobody gets in, 'til it's all done. But Jake said I could give you a tour tomorrow, if you want. He's gonna let his family see it, so I could, too."

"Family..." Four sighed happily. "That sounds nice."

"Yeah. His parents and uncles and his wife. They've got three kids, but they're all working on the set. We saw two of them in the pictures, remember? When we decided to come here."

"Yeah, I remember. You got so excited."

"Well, it's been a lot of fun, helping out. I've got so many ideas for new projects."

"You can't fill all of me with tracks," Four said with a chuckle. "We need space to eat and sleep and stuff."

"Do we? Really?" Ant gave an exaggerated pout, which only made Four laugh more. "I figured we could make levels up the walls. We don't really need the viewscreen, do we?"

"My screen is not coming down!" Four rolled over, clutching his stomach from laughing. "Where would my other self go?"

"Maybe we could transfer him to the datapad. Like a little hologram."

"Oh, stop it. You're too silly."

"I made my own train. Well, not really, 'cause I used a regular one as base. But I made it look as if it's made of stone bricks. Like the castle."

"That is so cool. I can't wait to see it."

The two of them got to their feet, then stood in silence and watched the jumping fish. Four felt a bit sorry for them, but his mind was set to ease when Ant gave him another half-hug. It felt as if no worries, no woes, could ever befall him as long as he was in his friend's embrace. The thought almost set him off giggling. He was beginning to think like his scholar books.

* * * * * *

"Mr Four, can we get a photo?"

"Sure!"

Four patted Alex's head, as he put the boy down. There was a slight quiver of his lower lip, but no tears this time. He had just finished the day's last story, and was saying goodbye to his little friends. The person who had spoken turned out to be a tall woman with a shaved head, and deeply tanned skin. She wore a brightly colourful dress, and her golden eyes really captured Four. She was, as far as his aesthetics database could tell, absolutely beautiful. He smiled and posed, but instead of holding up a camera or a datapad, she stepped closer and handed him a small bundle. Without thinking, Four took it. Then, when the thing in his arms squirmed and let out a coo, he froze.

"Wh-what?"

"A picture with Sheila, please."

"But... but..." A barrage of nightmare scenarios assaulted his mind; he could drop the baby. Someone could steal her out of his hands. He could drop her! He cast around. "I... What...? Wait... I can't... Ant, help!"

"You're doing fine, buddy."

Traitor. Four shot his friend a glare, then started up a second round of panic. Which died down in an instant, when a tiny face smiled up at him. Eyes as filled with gold as her mother's, met his. A grin crept onto his face, and he adjusted his grip so that the baby rested on his arm. When he poked her with his free hand, she grabbed his index finger and squealed. Something inside Four melted, and he failed to keep his voice steady.

"H-hey there, little one..."

A couple of flashes went off, and Four knew that they had been photographed. He didn't care, though. All of him was focused on the little thing he was holding. Baby Sheila. New feelings, that he hadn't known before, went through him. When the girl's mother came to pick her up, Four almost wanted to say no, please, just another minute.

The little hand squeezed his finger, and the golden eyes bored into his. Then the precious moment was gone. Sheila let out a whimper as she was made to let go, and Four was tempted to do the same. He heard the mother thank him, and felt sure that he replied politely, but much of his runtime was trapped by the feelings, of holding a life in his arms.

Once everyone except Ant had gone, Four stacked his books in just the right order, and pulled down the flaps around his stall. All in an effective but emotionless manner. He was still dazed. When he was done, he stopped, and stared at the finger Sheila had grabbed, as if it were suddenly not part of his body. For a second there, he had felt a connection stronger than touch. Stronger than anything he had ever felt, for something that wasn't Ant. He was breathing harder than usual.

Was that what it felt like... to be a parent? How could humans even stand it, in the long run?

Then a familiar furry hand brushed his shoulder, and Four let out a sigh. Ant said nothing, just wrapped him in a warm hug. It was exactly what he needed, and right then and there he almost gave voice to the roiling emotions inside him.

Almost.

Because, surely, there was no need to stir things up. No need to make a fuss. Surely Ant would laugh and call him silly. He was a robot, a... a machine. He swallowed, even though his mouth was empty, and somehow that gesture calmed his turmoil. Ant led him through the crowd, back towards home. To the Fourtitude. Himself. His true self.

Four looked forward to it. He needed to talk to screen Four, needed to vent. What was wrong with him? For so many months, he had been happy with being himself. Well, mostly happy. Sometimes it was frustrating not to really know what was what and what he really felt about... things. But mostly happy. Then he got to hold one baby, and suddenly he was a wreck!

Maybe screen Four could set him straight, but as he watched the ramp lower and the door open, he doubted it. After all, they were one and the same. If he were this confused, then how could he unconfuse himself?

* * * * * *

Next day was Friday, the beginning of the last weekend of the fair. Since they would probably be busy later on, Four took it upon himself to stock up the ferry. He had made sure to take the morning off, so he wasn't in costume when he left the fairgrounds. Even so, people kept greeting him, and kids came up for hugs and a friendly word or two. A couple of them asked if he wanted to play, and then looked dejected when he had to decline.

Being busy, it seemed, was not a good excuse. Busy was an adult thing, and the children regarded Four as one of them. He made sure to tell them that he would be back in his stall after lunch, but there were still sad faces all around. Including, Four felt sure, his own. He liked playing.

An hour later, he thanked the young man who had helped him bring his purchases to the ferry. Without really thinking, he had filled a whole cart with groceries and other supplies he thought they might need. Usually, Ant did all the heavy lifting, and now, try as he might, Four could barely lift even one of his three filled-to-the-brim bags.

He sang to himself while he packed everything away. Screen Four hummed along, and came with suggestions as to where stuff might fit. Four cringed a bit when he realised that the fridge was all but stuffed. He had gone over the top, hadn't he? Shopping was tricky sometimes. There was so much to choose from in the stores, and he often found himself picking up things they didn't really need, but might come in handy in the future. Or things that came in bulk and therefore were actually cheaper. Even though they cost more. It was tricky to wrap his head around things.

Like the five-kilo bag of unshelled peanuts. He enjoyed them in salads, and so did Ant, but they used up maybe a handful a week. These would, as per his calculations, last half a year. Did they keep for that long? He felt like he should chastise himself, but he put the thought aside, for now. He wanted to get back to the fair.

It took a little while to put on his costume, because of the cravat. Emma had taught him how to do it, but all the little creases took time to get right. In the end he felt good with it, so he put on the wig and slipped his glasses into a pocket. He would wear them when he needed to, but while walking they were nothing but a bother. As he was about to step out onto the ramp, he turned around.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"Sure," screen Four said with a wink. "Go see the trains for us."

"I feel kinda bad, leaving you behind."

"But you don't, 'cause I'm you."

"But you're the me who always stays here. I remember what that was like, when Ant would go out while I was parked somewhere. I got so envious sometimes."

"That was different. We share everything, remember? So your memories are my memories."

"I don't really get it."

"Of course you do," screen Four huffed. "Otherwise I wouldn't get it, and I do. Everything you can see and hear, I can see and hear."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. Now get going! Ant's gonna wonder where you are."

Four waved goodbye, then dashed down the ramp. He heard it close behind him, as he walked briskly towards Olde Town. It was a half-hour walk, and soon he was back among the colourful stalls and the throng of visitors. He wouldn't start working until after lunch, so he went in search of the large barn where Ant and his new friends were setting up their model railway.

It wasn't just for the fair, Four knew, but a semi-permanent exhibition. In the future, Jake would remove his parts of the railway, leaving room for others to display their skills. Four arrived just as a boy in his early teens came running, carrying a bag that smelled of spicy food.

"Hey, you must be Four!" the kid exclaimed happily. "Come on in!"

"Thank you. Are you sure it's okay for me to...?"

"Absolutely. Ant's back to the left, through the draperies." The boy placed his bag on a table, and two younger kids ran up to it and started rummaging. At a more leisurely pace, a man followed. "These two ravenous beasts are my little brothers, Toby and Jessie. I'm Carl, by the way. And the big guy's our dad, Jake."

"Nice to meet you all."

"This is Four, y'all. Ant's friend." They greeted him, even though the boys seemed more interested in the food. "You want some?"

"No thanks," Four said, smiling. "I don't really need to eat."

"Are you really a robot?"

"Toby, be polite." The man shook Four's hand. "Like the little one said, I'm Jake."

"Pleasure."

"Likewise. Now..." The man chuckled. "Ant. He's quite a character, isn't he?"

"He can be a handful," Four agreed with a grin. "He's not driving you up the walls, I hope."

"Not at all. He's a joy to work with. It's kind of amazing how quickly he learns."

"He had never seen a toy train, as he calls them, and now..." Carl shrugged. "Well, you'll see for yourself."

"We hadn't even thought about a fantasy railway," Jake said. "But he turned out to be full of ideas."

"He's great," Four said, his voice almost choking a little. "And, well, yeah. I am a robot. Did he tell you my story?"

"He did. It's quite a tale."

"It's all because of Ant. Without him I'd still be a just a space ferry."

"Hey, dad!" Jessie piped up around a mouthful of chicken curry. "We need a space train."

"Maybe next year." Jake laughed. "Like, moon tracks."

"There was a famous locomotive once, called the Rocket," Four said, remembering a teleshow he and Ant had watched. "Imagine, that one in space."

"Yeah!"

"If anyone can make it happen, it's Ant." Carl smiled, and his cheeks flushed a bit. "I so wish we could work with him all the time."

* * * * * *

Four peered through the draperies, feeling almost like an actor ready to enter the stage. The room was dimly lit, but that might be because Ant didn't need as much light as humans. He couldn't see his friend anywhere, and the noise he heard seemed to come from far away.

The model railway, which Four now knew would connect to the one Jake and the boys were setting up, looked huge. He took a couple of cautious steps inside. Just when he was about to turn around and head back, a loud voice startled him.

"Hi!" Four let out a squeal, and hurriedly glanced around the room. "Over here."

"Ant?"

Four's eyes widened, as he spotted the wolf boy. Was he... was he inside the railway? In the far corner of the set was what looked like a mountain, and Ant's face was grinning down from the peak of it. Four increased his light sensitivity, and saw that the mountaintop was the crater of a volcano. With a chuckle, Ant disappeared, and Four could hear him move underneath the whole set. After a minute, he crawled out, and stood up. Four punched his arm.

"Bad wolf! You're not supposed to scare me."

"Sorry," Ant smirked, looking nothing like. "I was working with the dragon when I smelled you, and I couldn't help myself."

"Is the dragon gonna come out of the volcano?"

"Yeah. Only his head and hands, but still. It's gonna look great, if I can get it to work." Ant flicked a switch on the side of the set, and it all lit up. "There's gonna be a rumble, and the side of the volcano will move as if lava's coming down it. Then the dragon comes up and, rawr!"

"Cool."

"I hope so." Ant stretched, and Four could see joy and pride clear on his face. He couldn't help but smile along. "Come on, let me show you the rest, it's all but done."

Ant seemed giddy with excitement as he showed Four the train he had made. As he had said, it did look as if it were made of stones held together by mortar. He had painted it to look realistic, and Four was impressed. The wolf boy could paint, but since he thought Four was better, his confidence was sometimes a bit low.

He placed the locomotive, complete with a chimney that was puffing smoke, on the track, and attached the three carts. They stood at a platform, with signs that said 'Fairyland'. Grinning, tail wagging, Ant turned a dial, and the train began to move.

At first it went away from them, towards the back right corner. Ant had built high walls, and decorated them to look like trees in a jungle. As Four watched, spotlights lit up the background, and a speaker played animal noises. Four could see little dots of light blink on and off, like eyes behind the trees.

"They're called light-emitting diodes," Ant explained. "Does it look good?"

"Very. I love the jungle in the foreground, it looks so real."

"It is. Except from the back wall, it's all different kinds of plants. I got help from one of master Samuel's friends, who's a hortoc... hortico... plant guy."

Four smiled as the train made a bend behind a grove of very small trees, only to start going uphill. The next feature was a bridge surrounded by puffy clouds, and when the lighting changed, Four gasped. Suddenly, the bridge was lit from below, but it looked as if nothing was there! Still, the train huffed its way over. Ant turned the dial, and it slowed to a stop.

"How...?"

"The bridge is made from clear glass." Ant was grinning ear to ear, and his tail wagged furiously. "With train tracks in it. I wanted it to be like that book we read, where the bridge was reeled in and the horse kept galloping in the air. Remember?"

"I remember." Four smiled, feeling very impressed, and proud of his friend's prowess. "An invisible bridge. And the light makes it look even more real."

"Exactly. Next is the volcano." Ant started the train again, and it went into a tunnel. "Everything is ready, except for the dragon."

As soon as the train was gone there was a noise, and Four took a step back. Dark red lighting made the scene feel ominous, as the mountainside moved and more LED's made it look like glowing lava. The train came out of the tunnel on the other side of the volcano, and travelled back right underneath the flow. Part of Four wanted to cry out, to help the poor passengers, but he managed to stop himself from looking foolish.

"This is when the dragon's supposed to come out." There was a roar, and loud hissing. "Only, he doesn't want to."

"Maybe you could get back in there, and play him yourself. Scared me."

"Maybe." Ant laughed. "But I'm gonna try again this afternoon. I'm pretty sure I know what's wrong."

The last leg of the ride was past a lake, which Four could tell had real water in it. As he watched the train go by, it was followed by a series of splashes in the lake, until a mermaid hopped up onto a rock, and waved. He waved back, grinning. Then there was another turn, and the train came to a halt, back at the Fairyland station. Four clapped his hands, and Ant took a bow.

"You're getting so good with those little moving parts, like the mermaid waving."

"Thanks."

"How did you get the water to splash like that?"

"I was actually inspired by the fish we saw the other day. Carl helped me make, like, pistons that move underneath the surface. He's really good at thinking up solutions like that."

Four felt a tiny bit of a twinge inside him. Not jealousy in all its ugly glory, but still, there was something. He pushed it back. Who was he to deny Ant making friends? Besides, he thought wryly, soon we'll head on, and they'll stay here. The two of them talked about the railway set for a while longer, then an alarm went off inside Four's head. It was time for him to go back on duty.

* * * * * *

Sunday noon, Four closed his storytelling stall for the last time. His final tale came to a happy ending, when the kind and friendly werewolf saved the poor little robot from evildoers, and they both rode off into the sunset on their beautiful white horses. Yes, he admitted to himself, it wasn't strictly a medieval story, but the kids seemed to like it anyway.

What they didn't like, and what Four didn't like, was that it was all over. For now, at least. Emma had asked both him and Ant to come back next year, and even though Ant had hemmed and hawed, Four was sure he could make it happen. At some point, Ant's aversion to going back, had to end.

Some of the young ones had been coming back day after day, to stay with Four and hear him talk, and they now flocked around him. He made sure to give everyone a friendly word and a hug. Five-year-old Alex, who had been smitten with Four from the first day, cried and cried, clinging to him as if he were a lifebuoy. It took his mother gentle coaxing, and the promised bribe of chocolate ice-cream, to finally make him let go. By then Four had tears in his eyes, as well. He would miss this, and he would miss his little charges.

After a quick change of clothes, he stopped by the fair headquarters to hand in his costume, then he hurried over to the barn. There was a queue to get in, but Carl spotted Four and waved. Beset by conflicting instructions from his electronic brain, Four both wanted to go to the boy so he could see Ant, and ignore him. The former won out. To be polite, Four took a little while to admire the regular section of the model railway. Slightly begrudgingly, he had to admit that it looked great, with all kinds of trains zooming around a modern cityscape, and Carl beamed when he said so. He still felt a bit wary around this boy, but tried his best not to let it show.

It wasn't Carl's fault that he liked Ant. To Four, not doing so was close to unthinkable.

He found the wolf boy standing by his section of the set, Fairyland, running his train round and round the track. His tail was wagging, and his toothy smile was on full display. Forgetting Carl immediately, Four stepped up to say hi. The grin that was aimed his way, almost bowled him over. How could one robot cope with such a jumble of feelings, one more powerful than the previous?

"You done?"

"Yup. How's it going?"

"See for yourself, buddy."

The pride in Ant's half-growly voice was unmistakable, and Four held his breath as he turned to watch the little train. It had just passed the invisible bridge, and when it entered the tunnel behind the volcano, the rumble started up. Several people in the audience gasped, while other clapped. With the dim lighting, it really looked as if lava were running down the mountainside. Then the train appeared, and so did the dragon.

It was the first time Four had seen Ant's creation, and he squealed with delight. With a roar, followed by a hiss, two clawed hands appeared over the rim of the crater, followed by a green, scaly head. Its mouth opened, showing rows of scary teeth, and it roared again. Four was really impressed with what he saw. The figure was beautifully painted, and about as realistic-looking as any fantasy creature could be. He zoomed in a bit, and yes, the fuzzy tuft of hair on top of the dragon's head, was made from Ant's own fur.

"It's awesome!" he exclaimed as the train sped on towards the lake, and the dragon retreated. "I think it's the best thing you've ever made, after Trevor, of course."

"Who's Trevor?" Jessie asked, as he peered over from the main set. "Another dragon?"

"No," Four replied. "Trevor is a robot fish Ant made for me. He lives in the aquarium behind the couch."

"I wish we could see more of your stuff, but Ant said you were sold out."

"Pretty much. But I suppose we'll start up production again after the fair."

"It's been so much fun working with Ant. And it's been good to see you, too, Four." Jessie reached out with his hand, and Four bumped fists. "I was over to hear a couple of your stories the other day, and they were great."

"Thanks."

"But please." He lowered his voice. "Don't be mad at Carl."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I saw you glaring." The boy giggled. "He's got a crush on Ant, that's true, but Ant doesn't have a clue."

"I... I didn't..."

"The way Ant talks about you, you don't need to worry. According to him, you're the reason the sun rises in the morning."

"That's... that's so nice of him."

Just then, Jake called out for Jessie, and he ran off. Four stood there for a while, blinking. Did he hear that right? He must have, because the warmth that spread through his insides was real. If he had been human, he would have blushed redder than the lave flow. A gurgling noise escaped his lips, and Ant elbowed him gently.

"You okay?"

"Mhm."

"I'm gonna be running the train for a couple of hours more, and talking to people. You go check out the rest of the fair if you want."

Four nodded, still not trusting his voicebox not to embarrass him, and left. There was a light breeze outside the barn, which was just what he needed. What was the matter with him? Just a couple of words about Ant, and his mind was a goner! All in all, he figured that he hadn't been in his right mind since holding baby Sheila. Not that he blamed her, or her mother, but that would explain his emotional turmoil, wouldn't it?

He bought himself a small plastic cup of iced tea at a stall, and the sweet concoction cooled him down further. While he sipped it, he watched a couple of young boys joust, riding ponies and using lances padded with small colourful pillows rather than sharp points. Dogs ran beside the horses, yipping excitedly. The boys rode at one another until one fell off his mount, then the other pounced him and it all turned into a pile of shrieking kids and barking dogs. Luckily for Four, he was able to drink and laugh at the same time. Otherwise, he felt sure he would have choked.

Ant caught up with him while he was sitting on a bench, humming quietly to himself as he watched the last stalls being taken down. Four leaned against his friend, and sighed.

"That was a happy sigh," Ant said, his growly voice vibrating through Four. "Feeling better?"

"Much better. Sorry I fled the train set, I just had to chill down."

"I thought you had a cooling system."

"I do, but I think my mind got overheated. Brain melt, you know."

"I know. Happens to me sometimes, too. Back in the old days, I'd lash out against someone."

"Not anymore?"

"No." He laid his arm around Four's shoulder. "Now I settle for a Fourhug."

"You're so sweet," Ant cooed. "Do you need to check in?"

"I already did. We can leave any time."

"I wanna say goodbye to Emma first. She's been so kind to me."

"Me too. Do you wanna stay for the last fireworks, though?"

"I guess." Four sighed again, and even he could tell that it was the wrong kind. "I feel a bit sad, now that the fun's all over."

"Poor you." Ant kissed the side of his head. "Me, I'm almost relieved. It's been fun, but a bit stressy as well."

"You need a vacation, by getting back to work."

"Absolutely," Ant laughed out. "You know me so well."

"Making train-related toys, I bet."

"Almost too well." A huff this time, but Four could detect the amusement in it. "I think I need to practice more before I start making my own engines, the way they're so small and fiddly, but I bet I can make carts that'll fit standard tracks. Will you paint them for me?"

"Sure, but judging by what I could see, you do fine on your own."

"Maybe." Ant squirmed a little, his ears flicking in the way that meant he was feeling embarrassed. "But you're so much better."

* * * * * *

Later that night, after the fair had officially ended and the gunpowder smell of the fireworks had been carried away by the wind, Four sat on the Fourtitude's ramp, and watched the stars. He'd had a good chat with his screen self, but he still needed to digest all that had happened during the past weeks. It had been fun, lots of fun, but it had also opened up new pathways inside his thoughts.

Looking after the kids, practically on his own, had strengthened his self-confidence. Granted, it had never been particularly high, but now it had been given a boost. He really could do things. On his own. It didn't mean he wanted to work apart from Ant again, at least not for a long while, but now he knew he could do it. When it came to babysitting, at least.

And speaking of babies...

He had watched the pictures Ant took, of him and little Sheila. The mesmerised look on his face matched well the way it had felt at the time. As if something beyond precious had been gifted to him, even if only for a minute. Did he want to be a parent? His more shallow thoughts immediately screamed, yes! Deeper down, though, he was afraid. The responsibility...

It was scary.

Raising a child, he knew, took years and years. And the slightest slip-up might mean disaster. His poor circuits couldn't take such stress. Besides, he told himself with a shake of his head, he couldn't have a baby. He was a robot. Technically speaking, he didn't really have a gender, but he had always seen himself as a boy. And even if he were to rebuild, he still lacked DNA. Ova, he felt sure, couldn't be programmed electronically.

He huffed out loud. He was being silly again. Even thinking such thoughts, were stupid. Maybe he and Ant could adopt...

But no, Ant wasn't the paternal type. He was too restless, too eager to always be on the move. And, he was raised in a place where children were left to fend for themselves as soon as they could walk. Maybe that worked for wolf pups, but human babies needed supervision. Nurture and care. They needed to be protected from all the horrible things that could possibly happen, like accidents and kidnappings and nasty falls and wild animals and...

Oh gosh. He couldn't do it, could he? Five minutes, and he would be a nervous wreck.

Just then, soft footfalls could be heard behind him. With a grunt, Ant plopped down beside, him, and opened up a bottle of apple juice. Four happily accepted a small sip, then he crawled up into Ant's lap, and wrapped his friend's free arm around himself.

"What's got you so frazzled?"

"Dunno..."

"Usually it's you, coming to see me out here."

"Sorry if I woke you up, Ant."

"You didn't. I needed to pee, then I needed a refill." He chuckled. "Then I saw that the ramp was down, and it didn't take a genius to figure out you were here."

"I was just thinking about, you know, everything we've been doing."

"You really enjoyed staying put, didn't you?" Ant took a gulp of juice, then squeezed Four tightly. "It's not exactly like settling down, but kind of."

"Yeah." Four drew a breath, held it, and let it out in a long sigh. "Even though I did lots of stuff, somehow it felt peaceful. Like I was centred."

"I can picture it. You, in a large building, looking after a bunch of kids. You'd be great at it."

"Where would you be?"

"Travelling, I guess."

"Without me."

"I'd come back. And we could talk every day using the datapad."

"You wanna get rid of me again?"

"No. Never!" Ant sighed. "I just... I mean, if you're unhappy leaving, then maybe we could part ways, just for a little while."

"No. I don't want that. More than anything else, I wanna be with you."

"You're so sweet." Another squeeze. "I do need to move again, but I don't wanna take you for granted. You, the Fourtitude, you're all your own."

"And screen Four."

"Yes, him too."

"Thank you," came from inside, and both of them laughed. "Much appreciated, to be appreciated."

"He's funny."

"He's silly," Four said, loudly enough so that his microphones inside were sure to pick it up. "But he wants to stay with you, just like me."

"If you change your mind, let me know."

"I will, but I probably won't." Four leaned against his friend, and traced the scar on his chest. "Someone needs to look after you, and protect you."

"I'm a big boy!" Ant huffed, but he sounded more amused than annoyed. "I thought I was looking after you."

"You are." Four closed his eyes, and breathed in through his nose. Ant smelled so good! "You're the best."

* * * * * *

Since it was a mild night, they slept on the ramp, and the next day, the ferry took off. There were plenty of worlds between Athena and the heart of the galaxy, and they would probably stop at a few of them.

It felt good to, as it were, stretch his legs again. Even though Four sat on the workshop floor, drawing pencil sketches in a notebook while Ant was bending iron rods for a metal sculpture, he could still feel himself careen through space at superluminal velocity.

They had set out a course that would lead them, at first, to a place where they could stock up on raw material for toy making. After that, who knew. Four glanced over at his friend, who was chewing on his lower lip while he worked, trying to set things up just right. Despite the feelings he had last night, it was good to be just the two of them.

Smiling to himself, he picked up a tune and started humming. After a little while, Ant joined in his boy soprano with a baritone. Not always in tune, but still very nice. Neither glanced at the other, as Ant kept up his metal work, while Four's pencil conjured up a picture.

Of him and Ant, of course.