10. Walking Is a Hassle
"So, here's the deal."
I started, trying to gather my thoughts. Kana and I were sitting side by side on a rocky outcrop jutting from the lunar surface, gazing at the distant, shimmering Earth—savoring the view, or maybe just soaking in the moment. We were holding our little "Earth Summit," planning our next steps.
"I'm thinking we should head to Earth. Any ideas on how we can pull that off?"
Kana tilted her head slightly, pondering, before responding. "First, we should probably figure out transportation."
"Well, obviously a rocket," I said, the answer coming easily. "Or maybe a shuttle."
"When it comes to shuttles going between the Moon and Earth, the company's cargo ships are probably the most frequent."
"Yeah, that makes sense. Are there any other options?"
"Not really. Though, I've heard humans occasionally come to inspect the Moon's production lines. It's rare, but it happens."
"Huh, good to know."
I mulled it over for a moment and came to a conclusion. "Okay, how about this? We sneak onto one of those cargo ships—the ones that transport purchased humanoid robots to Earth. You know, slip in quietly, without getting caught."
"Sounds good!" Kana nodded enthusiastically. "I think that's the most realistic and feasible plan."
"No way we're building a rocket from scratch. I'm not Elon Musk or anything."
"Right," Kana giggled, nodding in agreement. "Hitching a ride on something already out there is definitely the way to go."
"Alright, Kana," I asked, "do you know anything about the shuttles that go between the Moon and Earth?"
"Give me a sec."
Kana paused for exactly 0.15 seconds before rattling off the details. "The most frequent shuttle right now is the Luna Freighter. It's about 200 meters long and carries multiple container-style cargo holds. It's powered by a nuclear fusion engine, and the trip from escaping the Moon's gravity to reaching Earth takes about three to five days."
"What about security?"
"There are plenty of AI surveillance cameras, of course, but the setup isn't that strict. Humanoid robots are pretty docile, after all. The cameras are mostly there to check for humans or aliens sneaking in. The monitoring for humanoid robots themselves is pretty lax."
"Got it," I nodded. "So, once we're on board, it's basically smooth sailing."
I pictured it in my head: stowed away in the cargo hold, sitting quietly among the other humanoid robots, being transported to Earth in silence. Kana would be right beside me, maybe holding my hand—though, on second thought, something as irregular as hand-holding might draw the cameras' attention, so we'd better not. I didn't know what the atmosphere inside the shuttle would be like, so caution seemed wise.
"The real issue," Kana continued, her voice dropping slightly, "is how we actually get on the shuttle."
Her words brought the conversation to a halt, and we both fell silent, turning our attention back to the Earth. It glowed blue and white, a radiant, elliptical gem that never grew tiresome, no matter how long we stared. My outdated visual sensors could only process visible light, but this view? It felt like the most beautiful thing my limited data-processing could handle.
"So, how would someone normally get on one of those cargo ships?" I asked, mostly to keep the conversation going, even though I already had a rough idea.
Kana answered dutifully. "You'd need to be purchased by a human first."
"Purchased, huh…"
"Yeah. Once you're bought, a guide robot comes to pick you up. Not a humanoid one, but more like an autonomous vehicle. It takes you to the cargo ship while offering words of congratulations or something."
"So, since no one's coming to pick us up, we'll have to walk to the ship ourselves. How long would that take?"
"It's a bit of a trek."
Kana glanced away from the Earth, pausing for about 0.015 seconds as if running calculations, then continued. "The nearest launch port is at the Sea of Tranquility. It's 1,004 kilometers from here, so if we walk quickly, it'll take about a week."
"A week, huh…"
I let out a fake sigh, but honestly, a week didn't sound that bad to me. For Kana, though, fresh off the assembly line, it probably felt like half a lifetime.
"Well, shall we get walking?"
I suggested, and though Kana seemed a bit reluctant, she went along with it. And so, we stopped just staring at the Earth, freed ourselves from sitting around, stood up, and started walking toward our destination.
"We're heading the right way, yeah?" I asked to confirm.
Kana nodded within 0.001 seconds. "Yup, this is right. Keep going straight, and we'll hit the Sea of Tranquility's launch port. It's supposed to be the biggest one on the Moon's surface."
"Then maybe we'll have more chances to sneak onto a shuttle."
"Or the security might be tighter," Kana countered.
"Wow, getting a bit pessimistic there," I teased, glancing at her with a hint of surprise. Kana had been so upbeat until now, so this cautious streak was unexpected. It felt refreshing, like a glimpse of a new side of her, but I didn't want her to lose her spark, so I kept the conversation light.
"Not feeling it?"
"No, it's not that I don't want to go," Kana said honestly. "I just… don't love the idea of walking. Moving my body around isn't really my thing."
"Didn't you charge up before we left your house?"
"Oh, my battery's fully charged. Walking for a week is no problem energy-wise. It's just… it feels inefficient, you know?"
"Ah, got it."
It clicked for me instantly. Kana was a state-of-the-art model. The more advanced the tech, the more it's built for efficiency. Products designed with that philosophy naturally gravitate toward efficiency in everything they do. For a newly made model like Kana, that mindset was probably still fresh, clinging to her like a second skin.
Meanwhile, for an outdated model like me, that obsession with efficiency had long since worn off. I could even revel in inefficiency, embracing it shamelessly. Kana's fixation on efficiency was something I couldn't quite relate to anymore—I'd forgotten what that felt like.
Still, I understood where she was coming from. In other words, Kana was still a "kid." A young humanoid robot.
Back when humans were around, they used to carry their kids in things called strollers. So, to get Kana moving comfortably, we'd need something like a stroller. Problem was, I was flat broke. Sure, I could probably head back home and scrounge up something to barter with, but I really didn't want to. Besides, my house was too far away. Getting there might take even longer than reaching the launch port, and that would probably make Kana's mood even gloomier. I was curious to see her sulky face, but the hassle? No thanks.
So, how do we get a "stroller"?
I stared at Kana, racking my brain. But my low-spec CPU wasn't coming up with anything useful. In the end, I decided to toss the problem to her.
"Kana, you don't want to walk, right? It's a long way. Even I think a week is a bit much. In human terms, it's like trudging through a decade or more—long enough for mountains to shift and rivers to change course. Almost an eternity. Walking that long would be borderline torture."
"Whoa, whoa!" Kana waved both hands frantically. "I didn't say it was that bad! I'm totally fine with it. If I'm with you, a week, a year, or even forever wouldn't be boring. Honestly, I'd be thrilled!"
I couldn't help but smile. "Thanks for saying that. You're so sweet, Kana. I really love that about you."
"…"
Kana's face flushed red. Her ultra-realistic visual reactions, courtesy of her cutting-edge design, were so vivid they almost made me feel giddy.
"And because I love you so much, I don't want to put your body through unnecessary strain. That's my honest take. So, I'm thinking a vehicle would be nice. Got any good ideas?"
"A vehicle?"
The flush on Kana's face shifted from embarrassment to a peachy glow of excitement. I watched the adorable transformation with a grin, waiting for her response. In just 0.0005 seconds, she had an answer.
"There should be a lunar rover around here somewhere."
"Lunar rover?"
I repeated the term, letting it roll off my tongue. It sounded so… old-fashioned.
"You mean those things humans brought to the Moon ages ago for exploration?"
"Exactly. There's a kind of junkyard where their remnants are collected. If we go there, we might be able to cobble together a vehicle."
"There's a place like that?"
I'd spent most of my time holed up at home, so I barely knew anything about the area. Feeling a bit sheepish, I pressed for more details.
"I had no idea. Can you tell me more?"
"Sure," Kana said, diving into an explanation. "It's called the 'Scrap Nest.' It's kind of a tourist spot for humanoid robots. The rovers still carry traces of human presence, so robots go there to feel a connection to humans, even indirectly. That's why it's popular."
"A tourist spot, huh…"
I wasn't big on sightseeing, but this wasn't about tourism.
"So, there might be a bunch of humanoid robots milling around there."
"Yeah, it's not as crowded as it used to be, but there are still plenty of visitors. Are you not a fan of crowds, Neo?"
"Nope, not really. But if it's for getting a vehicle, I'll deal with it. How far is it from here?"
"Probably less than an hour's walk. But it's in the opposite direction from where we're headed."
"Alright, let's go check it out."
I turned 180 degrees, shifting my course. Kana spun around too, keeping pace with me, and added, "But with so many robots around, getting a lunar rover might be tricky."
"They're all just abandoned junk, right? Nobody owns them or manages them. They're just sitting there, collecting dust."
"That's true," Kana nodded, seeming convinced. "You've got a point."
"So, there shouldn't be any issue if we take one."
"Exactly!"
Kana's face lit up with growing enthusiasm.
"The only question is whether those rusty old heaps—basically just chunks of metal—will actually work."
"We'll figure that out when we get there. Maybe we can piece something together or fix one up."
Wow, that confident attitude was pure latest-model energy. Kana's mix of cuteness and reliability made her seem like the ideal humanoid robot.
At the same time, a faint suspicion crept into my circuits: was I starting to feel less like a humanoid robot myself? I brushed it off and focused on moving forward.
And so, the two of us set off toward the Scrap Nest.