The forgotten human

Chapter 2: Another day in post-apocalypse

I laugh as I watch my friend snake around the piles of trash around us. "Hey, this isn't a race, bud!" I called out after him, but the bot only goes faster, prompting me to twist the gas handle of my ATV harder. The bot turns his head to see me coming closer, making him chatter and try to go faster.

"I'm gonna get ya!" I sing, twisting the handles of the vehicle as I turn. We soon reach the sight and stop, Wall-E a bit further than me. He lifts his arms and cries, making me groan. "All right, you win. Again."

With a nod, the little robot goes to the pile and gets to work. I watch as he shoves the trash inside him and compresses it a bit. Once done, he opens the door and a perfect cube falls out. He looks at me and gestures at it. "Ta-daaaa." I applaud this, very proud of him. "Very impressive, buddy."

He nods, picks up the cube, and goes to the building he lefts yesterday, continuing his work. I crack my knuckles and sigh to myself. "All right, time to scavenge." But before I can, Wall-E cries. I turn to him, seeing him hold out a metal lid. "Good find "Wall-E!" I give him a thumbs up, to which he returns.

After a few hours, the sun begins to set, and I get up, sighing. "All, right, that's enough for today," I mutter and walk over to Wall-E, my backpack full of things. making sounds with each step I make.

I look up at the finished building and cup my hands around my mouth "WALLLLLL-EEEEEE! LET'S GO HOME!" I let my arms fall to my side and wait. After a bit, the bot reaches the ground, cooler on his back and our little roach friend on top of his torso.

"Cube, please." I chirp and the bot turns into one at my request. I pick up the bot and walk him over to the ATV. I place him into the little makeshift basket I made for him, and the bot goes to his normal state. "You feel secure?" I ask, and he nods. I go to my seat and start the machine.

We drive off, past all the built buildings made by Wall-E. We reach the ultra-store and I talk to him over my shoulder. "We need anything from the store?" The but gives a shaky response. "Nuh-uh."

We drive on past the gas station, the smell of oil entering my nostril., so I speed up a bit. We drive some more and soon the BNL jingle comes on from the speakers. I grumble under my breath. "I am going to find the control system someday. Put all the wasting electricity to good use." I glare at the hologram billboards all around me taking so much electricity over the years but never giving out.

We dive up to the train tracks and we drive onto the side. We leave the place, and we reach 'The Robot Graveyard'. Wall-E whines and I slow to a stop.  I turn to the bot. "What's wrong?" I worriedly ask.

The bot lifts his tracks, showing them, all defiled and broken. "Ooh, that looks bad." I scan the area. My sight lands on another model of Wall-E, his track in perfect condition. "Bingo."

We soon replace the tracks on Wall-E with new ones, and he admires them as we go back to driving home. We soon reach the downtown terminal, looking to the side as the all too familiar ad plays. "Too much garbage in your face?" The man in the video asks. "There's plenty of space out in space! BNL star liners leaving each day. We'll clean up the mess while you're away!" 

We look forward and just listen to the next lines. "The jewel of the BNL fleet, the Axiom. Spend your five-year cruise in style, waited on 24 hours a day by our fully-automated crew, while your captain and autopilot chart a course for nonstop entertainment, and fine dining, and with our all-access hoverchairs even Grandma can join the fun. There's no need to walk. The Axiom. Putting the star in executive star liner."

Right on cue, BNL's CEO finishes. "Because at BNL, space is the final fun tier!"

"Well, with all the work you did, you deserve to be on that ship, huh, bud?" I huff but feel his hand on my back. "Youuuuu too."