Preview of a new Fan Fiction I'm working on.
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:34 am
After Astro Forever posted that "Gray Astro" image I got the inspiration to work on a story that I've had cooking in the back of my mind. It's not been cleaned up yet, and I do intend on putting it on FF.NET eventually. Here is a sneak peek, let me know what you think.
“Do robots live forever?” Astor Boyton looked down at his son and smiled.
“I don't know son. I guess it's easier to make spare parts for a robot than it is a human being so I suppose you could just go on repairing a robot forever. But you know, right now the oldest robot hasn't lived as long as the oldest person.”
“So will I live longer than you?” Nine year old Adam Boyton asked his father.
I really don't know. But I hope so son. I hope you live a long and happy life!”
Astor turned his head to glance at Adam. That conversation had occurred many years ago, Adam was now a grandfather himself. How beautiful his daughter in-law looked sitting next to Adam, even with her now silver hair. How the years had melted away! Astor himself had had a long and wonderful life, he was now only months away from seeing his first great-great-grand children. The rumble of the Limousine's tires against the concrete roadway was soothing and Astor found himself drifting into a daydream.
He had been born as Tobio Tenma, the son of the infamous scientist and engineer that single handedly had started the robot revolution. There had been robots before Uma Tenma, but not until he added his touch to the art had robots become more than dumb slaves that had to be constantly watched and supervised.
Astor didn't remember his mother very well. Hoshie Tenma had left one day, never to return. She divorced Uma in absentia, and passed away shortly after. Astor could only guess that his father's workaholic ways were the cause. Tobio might not see his father for days at a time, while he was working late advancing the robot art. The boy was well cared for by his robot nanny, Nora. Nora kept the house spotless, cooked wonderful meals, and took care of the boy's every need. However, she wasn't a mother, and couldn't give Tobio the one thing he really wanted, a parents love. When Dr. Tenma was at home, he tried to more than make up for not being with his son, and Tobio loved his dad. Uma Tenma would buy Tobio all sorts of toys and games. The boy had plenty of material things, but he really just wanted more of his father's time.
One day Tobio decided to go out and buy his father a present for father's day. Something that he hoped would get him more of Dr. Tenma's attention. Tobio went out to the mall on his hover-scooter, the same one that he had recently received for his ninth birthday. On the way home, an out of control truck collided with his scooter, crushing it and the boy. Tobio lay in the hospital for several days in a near coma before he died. Dr. Tenma had saved the essence of Tobio's mind and his memories, transferring them into the computer brain of a new kind of robot that he was perfecting. He rebuilt his invention as a copy of his son, and he called it Tobio.
Astor often wondered of what could have been if his father had been more patient. He had been a bit ahead of his time, and his creation wasn't perfect enough for him. Tobio as a robot tried hard to be the boy that had died. But Tenma went mad and set fire to his lab and his house. He left his robot son in the hands of a robot salesman who tried to market him as the “mighty atomic robot”, or just “Mighty Atom”. Luckily the new head of the Institute of Science, Dr. Ochanomizu, found him, and adopted him. He ended up being a hero many times over, using his 'super powers' to aid the police, fire-rescue, and even the military. The press nick-named him “Astro Boy” and it stuck. To his friends and family, he was just 'Astro'.
And he did have a family, It seemed Dr. Tenma had created a failed prototype for Astro and it was found buried in the basement of the IOS. Dr. Ochanomizu repaired this robot, that looked quite a bit like Astro, and named him Cobalt. Astro's foster dad also built him a sister, who was named Zoran. But Ochanomizu's greatest invention was a microscopic robotic self replicating machine. These 'nanites' could be injected into a robot and instantly go to work repairing anything that started to wear out. The nanites could also do something else, they could slowly modify a robot as required. It meant that Astro, Cobalt, and Zoran would not stay in their child form forever, they would grow up like human children. If Dr. Tenma had figured this out, maybe he would have accepted Astro as his son, instead of going mad.
Astro was one of the first robots to be enrolled in school along with human children. He as accepted as a friend by his fellow students, and loved by his teachers. It was in high school that he met the woman that would become his wife. The idea of a human and a robot falling in love would have sounded as an ungodly idea years earlier. However robots had already started using biotechnology, and Astro was fitted with such. He was actually able to father children with a human female, and his body was no longer distinguishable from a human, except under very close microscopic examination.
At this point he wanted to make a new beginning for himself, and leave the robot boy image behind him. Using a play on words, he legally changed his name to Astor Boyton, which was a slur on 'Astro Boy'. So Astor Boyton took Cora Smith for his bride and they raised a family. Their first child was a boy who they named Adam, a slur on 'Atom', the name that Astro was first known by as a robot. The Boytons also had a girl, who they named Hoshie after Tobio's mother.
The Limousine bounced over a pothole and the jolt shook Astor awake. That had been so many years ago, a lifetime in fact. He'd lost track of Cobalt and Zoran a while ago. His older brother had been in charge of the first moon base and later moved on to the Mars colony. Zoran had been traveling the globe working with efforts to preserve many endangered species of animals. Astor had been getting regular emails from both of them, but recently they had suddenly stopped. He tried to contact both his siblings to inform them of his bad news, but had not got any answer.
Now in his 90's, Astor's well known spiked hair had turned gray and his his hairline had receded somewhat, making his distinctive 'widows peak' a thing of the past. He walked with a slight limp as the nanites had reached their limit of being able to make perfect repairs on his old frame. He hadn't flown in many years now, and he wondered if he still knew how. Astor still had a good deal of his strength, he had recently helped change a tire for a stranded motorist by lifting the vehicle off the ground when a jack was not available.
The Limousine slowed down as it entered the cemetery. Up ahead he could see the hearse had already stopped and Cora's casket was being removed. Astor and his immediate family got out of the vehicle. Astor and Adam performed as two of the pallbearers to move the coffin from the hearse to the grave site. Hoshie and her husband were in the car behind the limousine. “It's horrible for a parent to outlive their children”, Astor thought to himself, but he realized that within twenty years or so he would be attending several more funerals for his offspring. Astor might be showing his age, but baring an accident, he could be expected to be around for at least another half a century.
Astor stood next to his two children and their spouses as the grave side ceremony commenced. His eyes teared up as the coffin containing his beloved Cora was lowered into the ground. As was the custom of his wife's religion, each of the relatives of the deceased picked up a shovel and put several loads of dirt into the grave. Astor was the last to pick up the tool, and he slowly emptied the pile of dirt left for the purpose, into the grave.
“Dad, you don't have to finish the job” Adam said, gently taking the shovel out of his hands.
“I guess my old self resurfaced for a bit there er?” Astor said putting his arm over his son's shoulder.
“Please walk me back to the car, son.” he asked.
As the Limousine left the cemetery Adam studied his father's face.
“What are you going to do now Dad?” he asked.
“I don't really know. Caring for your mother was the last task that I was fully involved in. Everyone else that I ever knew is gone now. I know I cried my eyes out when Dr. Ochanomizu passed away. I still miss Higeoyaji deeply. I still remember my boyhood friends Reno, Kenichi, and Tamao, though I haven't thought about them for many years. I wish I knew what happened to Cobalt and Zoran. I feel like I've lived three lives. I just don't know if I have the will to keep going.” Astor sighed.
“Why don't you move in with us?” Adam asked. His wife nodded in agreement.
“Perhaps.” Astor said, though he knew that in doing so he would soon be taking care of his son and daughter in law, rather than them taking care of him.
Later that evening Astor got some of his things from his apartment and started to move in with Adam and Emily. They had a small house with a spare bedroom. There was a pond that fronted on their back yard. After dark, Astor folded several sheets of paper into small boats. He placed a stub of candle in each of them and lighting the candles, floated the boats in the pond. He watched as they drifted, the lights were like small stars floating on the surface of the water. Astor looked up into the sky at the stars. Somewhere up there, maybe Uma, Cora, Hoshie, Ochanomizu and Higeoyaji were up in heaven, along with Reno, Kenichi, Tamao, and everyone else he had ever known. His eyes lacrimated, and the moisture rolled down his cheeks.
Who Mourns for Methuselah?
“Do robots live forever?” Astor Boyton looked down at his son and smiled.
“I don't know son. I guess it's easier to make spare parts for a robot than it is a human being so I suppose you could just go on repairing a robot forever. But you know, right now the oldest robot hasn't lived as long as the oldest person.”
“So will I live longer than you?” Nine year old Adam Boyton asked his father.
I really don't know. But I hope so son. I hope you live a long and happy life!”
Astor turned his head to glance at Adam. That conversation had occurred many years ago, Adam was now a grandfather himself. How beautiful his daughter in-law looked sitting next to Adam, even with her now silver hair. How the years had melted away! Astor himself had had a long and wonderful life, he was now only months away from seeing his first great-great-grand children. The rumble of the Limousine's tires against the concrete roadway was soothing and Astor found himself drifting into a daydream.
He had been born as Tobio Tenma, the son of the infamous scientist and engineer that single handedly had started the robot revolution. There had been robots before Uma Tenma, but not until he added his touch to the art had robots become more than dumb slaves that had to be constantly watched and supervised.
Astor didn't remember his mother very well. Hoshie Tenma had left one day, never to return. She divorced Uma in absentia, and passed away shortly after. Astor could only guess that his father's workaholic ways were the cause. Tobio might not see his father for days at a time, while he was working late advancing the robot art. The boy was well cared for by his robot nanny, Nora. Nora kept the house spotless, cooked wonderful meals, and took care of the boy's every need. However, she wasn't a mother, and couldn't give Tobio the one thing he really wanted, a parents love. When Dr. Tenma was at home, he tried to more than make up for not being with his son, and Tobio loved his dad. Uma Tenma would buy Tobio all sorts of toys and games. The boy had plenty of material things, but he really just wanted more of his father's time.
One day Tobio decided to go out and buy his father a present for father's day. Something that he hoped would get him more of Dr. Tenma's attention. Tobio went out to the mall on his hover-scooter, the same one that he had recently received for his ninth birthday. On the way home, an out of control truck collided with his scooter, crushing it and the boy. Tobio lay in the hospital for several days in a near coma before he died. Dr. Tenma had saved the essence of Tobio's mind and his memories, transferring them into the computer brain of a new kind of robot that he was perfecting. He rebuilt his invention as a copy of his son, and he called it Tobio.
Astor often wondered of what could have been if his father had been more patient. He had been a bit ahead of his time, and his creation wasn't perfect enough for him. Tobio as a robot tried hard to be the boy that had died. But Tenma went mad and set fire to his lab and his house. He left his robot son in the hands of a robot salesman who tried to market him as the “mighty atomic robot”, or just “Mighty Atom”. Luckily the new head of the Institute of Science, Dr. Ochanomizu, found him, and adopted him. He ended up being a hero many times over, using his 'super powers' to aid the police, fire-rescue, and even the military. The press nick-named him “Astro Boy” and it stuck. To his friends and family, he was just 'Astro'.
And he did have a family, It seemed Dr. Tenma had created a failed prototype for Astro and it was found buried in the basement of the IOS. Dr. Ochanomizu repaired this robot, that looked quite a bit like Astro, and named him Cobalt. Astro's foster dad also built him a sister, who was named Zoran. But Ochanomizu's greatest invention was a microscopic robotic self replicating machine. These 'nanites' could be injected into a robot and instantly go to work repairing anything that started to wear out. The nanites could also do something else, they could slowly modify a robot as required. It meant that Astro, Cobalt, and Zoran would not stay in their child form forever, they would grow up like human children. If Dr. Tenma had figured this out, maybe he would have accepted Astro as his son, instead of going mad.
Astro was one of the first robots to be enrolled in school along with human children. He as accepted as a friend by his fellow students, and loved by his teachers. It was in high school that he met the woman that would become his wife. The idea of a human and a robot falling in love would have sounded as an ungodly idea years earlier. However robots had already started using biotechnology, and Astro was fitted with such. He was actually able to father children with a human female, and his body was no longer distinguishable from a human, except under very close microscopic examination.
At this point he wanted to make a new beginning for himself, and leave the robot boy image behind him. Using a play on words, he legally changed his name to Astor Boyton, which was a slur on 'Astro Boy'. So Astor Boyton took Cora Smith for his bride and they raised a family. Their first child was a boy who they named Adam, a slur on 'Atom', the name that Astro was first known by as a robot. The Boytons also had a girl, who they named Hoshie after Tobio's mother.
The Limousine bounced over a pothole and the jolt shook Astor awake. That had been so many years ago, a lifetime in fact. He'd lost track of Cobalt and Zoran a while ago. His older brother had been in charge of the first moon base and later moved on to the Mars colony. Zoran had been traveling the globe working with efforts to preserve many endangered species of animals. Astor had been getting regular emails from both of them, but recently they had suddenly stopped. He tried to contact both his siblings to inform them of his bad news, but had not got any answer.
Now in his 90's, Astor's well known spiked hair had turned gray and his his hairline had receded somewhat, making his distinctive 'widows peak' a thing of the past. He walked with a slight limp as the nanites had reached their limit of being able to make perfect repairs on his old frame. He hadn't flown in many years now, and he wondered if he still knew how. Astor still had a good deal of his strength, he had recently helped change a tire for a stranded motorist by lifting the vehicle off the ground when a jack was not available.
The Limousine slowed down as it entered the cemetery. Up ahead he could see the hearse had already stopped and Cora's casket was being removed. Astor and his immediate family got out of the vehicle. Astor and Adam performed as two of the pallbearers to move the coffin from the hearse to the grave site. Hoshie and her husband were in the car behind the limousine. “It's horrible for a parent to outlive their children”, Astor thought to himself, but he realized that within twenty years or so he would be attending several more funerals for his offspring. Astor might be showing his age, but baring an accident, he could be expected to be around for at least another half a century.
Astor stood next to his two children and their spouses as the grave side ceremony commenced. His eyes teared up as the coffin containing his beloved Cora was lowered into the ground. As was the custom of his wife's religion, each of the relatives of the deceased picked up a shovel and put several loads of dirt into the grave. Astor was the last to pick up the tool, and he slowly emptied the pile of dirt left for the purpose, into the grave.
“Dad, you don't have to finish the job” Adam said, gently taking the shovel out of his hands.
“I guess my old self resurfaced for a bit there er?” Astor said putting his arm over his son's shoulder.
“Please walk me back to the car, son.” he asked.
As the Limousine left the cemetery Adam studied his father's face.
“What are you going to do now Dad?” he asked.
“I don't really know. Caring for your mother was the last task that I was fully involved in. Everyone else that I ever knew is gone now. I know I cried my eyes out when Dr. Ochanomizu passed away. I still miss Higeoyaji deeply. I still remember my boyhood friends Reno, Kenichi, and Tamao, though I haven't thought about them for many years. I wish I knew what happened to Cobalt and Zoran. I feel like I've lived three lives. I just don't know if I have the will to keep going.” Astor sighed.
“Why don't you move in with us?” Adam asked. His wife nodded in agreement.
“Perhaps.” Astor said, though he knew that in doing so he would soon be taking care of his son and daughter in law, rather than them taking care of him.
Later that evening Astor got some of his things from his apartment and started to move in with Adam and Emily. They had a small house with a spare bedroom. There was a pond that fronted on their back yard. After dark, Astor folded several sheets of paper into small boats. He placed a stub of candle in each of them and lighting the candles, floated the boats in the pond. He watched as they drifted, the lights were like small stars floating on the surface of the water. Astor looked up into the sky at the stars. Somewhere up there, maybe Uma, Cora, Hoshie, Ochanomizu and Higeoyaji were up in heaven, along with Reno, Kenichi, Tamao, and everyone else he had ever known. His eyes lacrimated, and the moisture rolled down his cheeks.
