Robot Protection Zone Chapter 3

After changing all my clothes, I looked down at my appearance and muttered to myself.

“It’s big….”

I had felt it even before putting them on, but the clothes were too big. They were warm, but the knit sweater was so large that one shoulder was completely exposed, and the pants kept sliding down unless I held them at the waist. The length was also excessively long, so I had to fold the cuffs up several times.

“It’s too big….”

There was no mirror, so I could not even check how strange I looked. In the end, I came out of the room clutching the sliding pants.

As soon as I came out, my eyes met with my master, who was waiting for me. I became a little anxious when I saw the corner of my master’s mouth twitch. Do I look very strange…?

“The clothes are too big, Master….”

As I muttered like I was making an excuse, holding onto my waistband, my master suddenly burst out laughing. I was so embarrassed in front of him that I could not lift my head. As I stood there dejectedly, fiddling with the hem of my clothes, my master’s laughter gradually subsided.

“Is it that big? Let me see.”

“Ugh!”

I was looking down at the folded-up cuffs of my pants when my master suddenly grabbed the hand that was holding my waistband, causing me to let go of the pants. In a flash, the pants left my hand and had already slipped all the way to the floor.

“D-don’t look, Master!”

Startled, I shouted in a fluster. I was so flustered that I even stuttered, but my master, finding my reddened face amusing, started laughing even louder. I was so ashamed that I hung my head low and quickly pulled my pants back up.

“Ah, dammit…. Are all Humanbots like this?”

My master kept chuckling for a long time, unable to stop laughing. I stood before him, my face burning hot, and could not lift my head for a long time.

In the end, I changed back into the thin pajamas I was originally wearing. Instead, I wore the thick coat over it, but this too was as big as wrapping myself in a blanket.

“Cute.”

“I must look strange….”

As I was feeling down, my master said it was fine and lightly patted my head. For a moment, a memory of my former master came to mind. He, too, would often pat my head gently like this….

It felt as if I had returned to the past for a moment. With a happy smile, I lifted my head slightly. However, the person standing in front of me was not my master with a gentle smile, but my new master, who was still unfamiliar.

“If you’re all ready, let’s go.”

“Yes.”

I obediently nodded my head and followed my master out of the house.

We got in the car again and drove down the road. Before long, large buildings began to come into view.

It did not feel like much time had passed since we left the house, but the car quickly stopped in front of a splendid high-rise building, as if we had arrived at our destination. Before entering the parking lot, I spotted the word SPENIC.

“This place is….”

It was a familiar name. It was the company my previous master had founded, and the manufacturer where I was made. However, it was completely different from how I remembered it.

The Spenic in my memory was closer to a cozy laboratory, but the building now unfolding before my eyes was like a giant castle. What happened here while I was turned off? As much time had passed, it was clear that it had undergone many changes.

“Master, why did we come here?”

“To get you checked up.”

A check-up? I looked down at my body. I saw flawless skin without a single scratch.

“But I’m perfectly fine?”

“You were turned off for a long time, so there must be something broken somewhere. Since you’re a robot.”

Hearing my master’s words, I nodded my head. My body’s senses certainly felt dull. I thought it was because I had just been turned on, but as my master said, it might be that something is really broken somewhere.

As we entered the building, people passing by bowed their heads to my master in greeting. But my master just walked past them without a reply. I followed behind my master, busy bowing my head up and down like a doll in greeting.

My master walked with long strides. To keep up with my master’s wide steps, I had to walk briskly too, so I did not have a chance to properly look around the changed building.

“Welcome! This is Mr. Thomas’s laboratory.”

Soon after we arrived, as soon as the door was opened, a scene of chaos unfolded. All sorts of parts and documents were scattered on the desk, and strange-looking robots were bustling about here and there.

One of the robots seemed to have recognized us and greeted us with a cute voice. It was a voice that matched its round appearance. As I am a bit shy, I timidly bowed my head to the robot I had just met.

While I was exchanging greetings with the robot, my master, who was looking around the inside of the laboratory, shouted loudly.

“Thomas!”

When my master called for someone, a presence was felt from another room connected to the messy room. A rattling sound was heard, and soon a man appeared. The man wearing round glasses seemed to be the owner of the cluttered room.

As soon as the man spotted me, his eyes sparkled and he strode toward me. Then, he abruptly thrust his face forward and poured out a torrent of words.

“You’re here? Is this the robot you mentioned earlier? Wow… it looks just like a real person. What’s your name?”

“It’s Didi….”

“Didi? Did William, by any chance, name you?”

“No…?”

When I said my name, the man’s expression turned strange. The man called Thomas kept thrusting his face forward, trying to observe me, so I got flustered and hid behind my master.

“This one looks even more human than other Humanbots. Is this the robot the former chairman raised?”

“Yes. I brought it from the mansion where it was kept.”

“Wow, rich people are really different. Can I take a quick look around?”

“Do as you please.”

As soon as Thomas got my master’s permission, he began to look me over and touch me here and there. My body stiffened at the sudden contact.

He lifted my arm and turned my head left and right, observing me. He tickled my eyelashes, opened my lips, and even lifted my clothes, making me increasingly bewildered.

“Ma-Master….”

In my panic, I sent a pleading look to my master for help.

“What? Master?”

“……”

I called for my master, but a response came from an unexpected place. Thomas blinked as if surprised, repeated what I had said, and then looked at my master with a strange expression. My master remained silent with his arms crossed, saying nothing.

I once again sent a desperate look to my master, asking him to remove Thomas’s hands. Only then did my master, who had been watching silently for a while, open his mouth.

“Do the observation later. What about the parts?”

“I looked for them as soon as I got your message, but most of them are so old that there’s nothing left. We might have to make them from scratch after today’s check-up.”

“When will they be ready?”

“Um…. Probably in a week, no, about two weeks.”

“One week.”

“Ugh… All right.”

I guess overtime is confirmed for the time being. Thomas, who muttered quietly, let out a deep sigh. He grumbled as he took my hand and led me to the inner part of the room. My master followed us as well.

The interior of the room, unlike the previous space, was neatly organized. In the center was a wide bed that looked like an operating table, and next to it were various strange machines packed tightly together. Some were sharp enough to be terrifying just by looking at them, and some were so hideous that it was difficult to even look at them.

I started to get a little scared. I clasped my slightly trembling hands together tightly.

“You can lie down there. Oh, and take off your clothes.”

“Pardon me?”

I was taken aback by the sudden command to take off my clothes. In front of my master…? As I hesitated for a long time, my master asked me.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“N-no, it’s nothing.”

Now that I am serving a new master, I must be more obedient. That way, I thought I would not be abandoned this time. I clenched my fists and summoned my courage, but fear still washed over me as I tried to get on the operating table-like bed.

Thinking that I wanted my master to stay by my side, I placed my hands on my clothes. Overcoming my embarrassment, I slowly took off my outer coat and top. Then, hesitating, I pulled down my pants as well.

Surely… do I have to take everything off?

“Do I have to take off my underwear too…?”

“No. That’s fine. Can you lie down?”

“Yes.”

What a relief…. I nodded my head in relief and lay down on the bed. The cold air touched my bare skin, sending a chill through my body.

Thomas fiddled with my body with a click, and my body was suddenly flung open. I gasped in surprise, but Thomas paid no heed and put his hands inside my body and began to touch this and that.

My stomach churned. Every time Thomas moved his hands, my body’s senses would disappear and then return, repeating the cycle. At the same time, I could feel my heavy body condition gradually improving. Of course, the feeling of my insides being rummaged through was scary, but since my new master, who looked so much like my master, was by my side, I could bear it. I endured the anxiety by meeting my master’s eyes.

“Hmm…. The circuits are old, so they’ll need a complete overhaul…. Huh? What’s this?”

Thomas continued to mutter to himself. The more his interested voice was heard, the more my anxiety grew. Perhaps because my body was open, it felt as if I could hear the sound of my own thumping heart.