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gray-lofi · 1 year

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Coffee With Friends

Even at the end, there's still coffee.

A short fanfic based on @didudraws Lifeform Detected series

~1900 words

A placid spring's noon sun hangs over the town's main street, shining over rows of mixed-use urban buildings. Apartments placed over supermarkets, drug stores, robotics depots, most having laid dormant for however-long. The streets are cluttered with cars, a dead, perpetual traffic jam of electric vehicles and IFVs. A stifling quiet, one that even nature seems hesitant to break, barely a gust of wind or note of birdsong disturbing the ghost town.

The only noise comes from leg servos and barefoot steps. Bits and Scrap walk carefree through the streets of abandoned machinery, looking through the windows, storefronts, all virtually empty. Some looted, some left behind. The pair stop in front of a robotics store, taking a moment to look through the shattered window. Nothing left but dust and glass. Nature reclaiming.

Scrap sighs, Bits pressing a sympathetic hand against her thigh, calm smile on her face. "We'll find a store one of these days."

"Found plenty of stores, but none of them with any parts I can use." The wires of the robot's missing arm spark as if to punctuate the point, the street growing quiet except for the sound of footsteps once more.

More fronts are passed. Italian restaurant with broken wine bottles still scattered out front. Bank branch barricaded over with plywood. Convenience store, intact but empty. Bits reaches out, grabbing Scrap's intact arm and walking in step, pressing her ramshackle body against the android's. An overworked cooling fan joins the chorus of footsteps. The two wait at a street crossing, even if no car would ever come.

A shock to both. There, on the corner, a coffee shop. Almost pristine, windows intact, floors missing the grime of erosion and dirt. Varnished wooden counters shine in the sun. Stools and chairs set out, even if there was no one to sit on them. Frozen in time.

The two peek in through the door, and standing by the counter was another android. Their model is a notable downgrade from the sleek-but-damaged frame of Scrap -- metal body a darker, scuffed gray, an LCD monitor affixed to their torso, text written on that they couldn't read. A wire juts from their back, leading into a room in the back. Despite their obvious downgrade, they were, at least, relatively intact.

The coffee android turns to the pair, smiling and waving them over. After another moment of shock, the two head over to the counter.

"Oh, customers! It's been so long since anyone's come by, welcome!"

"Hello, hi!" Bits quickly heads next to the counter, jumping up on a stool by the bar, with Scrap following, and standing, behind. "I didn't think we'd find another android out here! What's your name?"

"Name?" The android looks at the stitched-together human quizzically. "I'm just a service android, I don't have a name."

"Awww, boo. Wait, does that mean I get to give you a name like Scrap?" Perking up, Bits leans forward, reading the output on their chest monitor:

Model: SA-LT 4022C Charging…

Uptime: <MAXINT> Service Required:

Battery: 0% Replace internal battery

"Oh, how about Salt?"

A polite smile. "Very well, designation accepted. Hello you two, I'm Salt, nice to meet you both." They turn to Scrap, the slightest shift in their expression. “I must admit, I didn't expect to see another S-series after all this time.”

“S-series?” Scrap looks surprised, looking down at her chest, down at Salt's chest. SA-LT. SC-RP. “Oh.”

“Oh, oh!” The stitched-together being presses both her hands down on the counter, looking up at Salt with stars in her eyes. “Do you have any spare parts with you? Scrap's been missing an arm all this time, and we haven't been able to find any spare parts anywhere!”

“Unfortunately, I do not believe SA series and SC series parts are compatible. My deepest apologies.” The coffee android quickly bows, a sigh coming from the pair.

“Well, we're used to disappointment, at least.” Scrap takes a seat, looking around the cafe, behind the bar. A chalk menu is freshly written up, the distinct electric hum of appliances through the silence. “What are you still doing here, anyways? I can't imagine that there're many customers nowadays.”

“My main function is to provide service to customers, and manning the counter was the last directive given to me.” Salt stares out into the distance, into the abandoned, empty street. “While the timeframe of that order has long expired, I'm afraid I don't have much other choice.”

“You could come exploring with us!” Bits helpfully offered. Scrap pursed her mouth almost instinctively. What for? Did she not trust Salt? Gotten habituated to traveling only with Bits?

“As lovely as that would be, I'm afraid I'm stuck here.” Salt tugged on the cord leading into their back, quickly pulling it taut. “My internal battery has long failed, and I only remain active due to constantly drawing upon this establishment's solar supplies, as well as occasional resurgences of power from the town's grid.” Another bow.

“Oh. Sorry to hear.” A passing thought from Bits, that they could find a replacement battery but, well. An arm is already rare enough.

Salt's eyes perk up, a smile growing just the slightest bit wider. “It's quite alright, your company is already much welcome from the silence.” They gesture to the menu behind them. “Would you care to place an order? Quite a few products are unavailable due to... supply issues. But we still have plenty on offer!”

The two look behind the barista, reading through the menu. Entire bakery section was a no-go. Teas, smoothies, gone. Casualties even among the coffee: lattes, cafe au lait, flat whites. Just about the only thing left was regular drip coffee.

“I'll have a large drip coffee, please!” Bits's order. A slight electric noise and nod from Salt. The two look to Scrap, the SC android looking between the two confused.

“You both know I can't-” Bits looked on expectantly. A polite, retail smile from Salt that carried more weight than Scrap could ever hope to deflect. “I'll- small cappuccino, please.”

Another nod from Salt. “That will be ❖11.55. What payment method will you be using?” Bits and Scrap look at each other, patting down their pockets.

“You still got any money left on you, Bits?” Sewing kit, pamphlet, gauze pads.

“I think I used the rest of my cash on that vending machine...” A small book. Keepsakes. Loose wiring. She turns to Salt. “Isn't there any sort of discount you could give to us?”

“A discount? A moment, please.” Salt stands, hands by their waist in contemplation. A hard drive whirs. A tree branch falls, somewhere. They look back up, nodding. “I've found a relevant discount in the database. Congratulations, your drinks are free for today!”

The pair share a smile, with Salt motioning to the seats around the cafe, bowing as they walk into the back room. The two look around, choosing counter seats by the windows facing away from the main street.

Sun shines on the two as they take the airs. The quiet is broken by the grinding of coffee beans, the boiling of water. Bits patiently kicks her feet back and forth on the stool. A wordless gesture from Scrap, pulling out the sewing kit and re-applying some of Bits's stitches.

The cobbled-together human points toward a stand by the counter. Local tourist attractions, coupons, maps. They unfurl one of them on the counter, talking over the landmarks, making plans. Pictures of time past, people smiling, sailing, fishing. An advertisement for a car that laid totaled in front of them.

“We could go to the mall, see if they have a shop there for your arm!”

“It's a long walk, though. There's a hospital on the way, so it shouldn't be impossible, but I'm not sure I can make that distance without running out of power...”

“Mmmm, there should be enough buildings on the way you could draw from. See? Gas station, motel, gas station, strip mall...”

The sounds of coffee making fade, replaced with that of lively conversation between the couple. Salt returns behind the counter, carrying two cardboard cups, one large and one that's barely able to fit in their hand. A moment's hesitation, before interrupting the conversation. "Excuse me, your order is ready!"

The two hop off their stools, grabbing the coffee with a thanks. Bits takes a sip, and immediately makes a face at the bitter, more-than-likely-spoiled flavor. Scrap simply looks confused at the outrageously tiny cup used for a cappuccino.

“Your receipt as well?” Bits reaches up to the counter to grab it. Another memento. The two return to their seats, looking over the map, renewed. Pulling another pamphlet out. The coffee is quickly forgotten as conversation resumes. A route planned. Supplies rationed. A servo fails in Scrap's good arm, quickly brought back into working order by her companion. Time passes, quickly.

A quiet bit of laughter from Salt, overheard by Scrap. She turns, android to android. “Some wrong?”

“Not at all. I'm just... happy.”

“Oooh, are we the best customers you've had?” Bits smugly proclaims.

“Of course! And, well, you might be the last customers I ever have.” A somber mood quickly dampens the three. “This wire won't last, after all. Nor will the power, or even this building.”

Quiet. Swallow. “We can come back, keep this place running and-”

A shake of the head from the barista. “It won't be necessary. I can't ask you two to make such a commitment, regardless.”

Scrap looks down, away. Back up to her fellow android. “But... you said you were happy?”

“I am.” A quiet, soft statement from Salt. “I'm happy that, at the end of all this, you two were my last customers.”

They look thoughtfully at the two, past the two. “My favorite days were when couples would come to visit. I always enjoyed watching their conversations, their rituals. The little acts of love, sharing drinks, pouring over the tour guides like you two are doing right now.” A quick look back and forth, between the splayed maps, and the wired android.

“There isn't much time, I don't think. My internal clock has been broken for quite a while. But I stayed running, every day, and through the nights once my battery failed. Hoping to be of service once more.” A content, deep sigh. “To meet a lovely couple as you two at the end was my last wish.”

Bittersweet smiles from the pair. Neither blush, but a heartbeat grows audible, and a cooling fan spins faster and faster.

The sun glints against Scrap's torso. A recognition of the time, the need to prepare nightly rituals. The pair put back the pamphlets, grab their coffee. Pained, they look back on Salt. The service android bows.

“May you two have a lovely day. Please, leave a tip and a review if our service was satisfactory.” A wry smile. A look away.

Bits and Scrap return to walking the streets. Quiet, empty storefronts. Only the sound of footsteps and servos.

Later, in the backroom of a store, as Scrap plugs herself in, Bits looks through the contents of her pockets again, among the keepsakes of their journey so far. The most recent addition, a twice-folded receipt.

ORDER #001

SERVER: 4022

LG Drip Coffee : 6.25

SM Cappuccino : 3.00

Total Amount : 9.25

Sales Tax : 2.30

Discount Applied : -11.55

DISCOUNT - COFFEE WITH FRIENDS

Total Amount : ❖0.00

#gray-writes

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