When D.A.R.W.I.N. met Beagle

D.A.R.W.I.N. spent many blissful years with Margaret exploring the Galápagos Islands. Each new discovery that filled his memory banks raised his spirits higher and broadened his processor capacity he really had become a clever clogs. Physically D.A.R.W.I.N. was transforming as well.

When he was thirteen he had initiated a series of hardware updates. His arms were now long and extendable. His legs were strong and steady even his face seemed longer. He would gaze at the wooden crate he had arrived in and marvel at how he had once fitted in side it. However, as any young teenager will tell you, child or robot, this was a time not without its awkward difficulties for the young machine.

Not all his upgrades were made smoothly. D.A.R.W.I.N.’s voice unit had trouble adapting and would swing between the very very deep and the very very high. D.A.R.W.I.N.s face casing also began to produce too much oil. D.A.R.W.I.N became awfully embarrassed and shy. The adolescent android spent alot of time in front of the mirror during this time. Sometimes he’d wish he had never changed at all. Margaret would stand at the doorway and smile and tell him not to worry. “Everyone goes through it sure didn’t I go through something similar when I was a little girl?” She would comfortingly declare. “Really?” the adolescent robot would ask turning his back on the mirror. Margaret always knew just what to say.

These days with Margaret were full of delight. Every Sunday all the scientists would take turns calling around to each other’s homes and share different stories of their adventures long in to the night. Never had a more eclectic group been parked around a table. D.A.R.W.I.N.s favourites were Zinaida, or Zina for short, a very tall brunette from St. Petersburg who sang with a pleasing melodious voice and her partner Kalpa. Kalpa was an Indian man with a fine bushy pair of side burns and was a good bit shorter than soaring wife.

But gloomy times were ahead. The little Android noticed that Margaret wasn’t as quick as she was before. Her movements were slow. Not because she was dawdling, no she was as fiery as even. The spring in her step had worn out its bounce. One day Margaret didn’t wake up. D.A.R.W.I.N. felt like someone had de saturated all the colours in the world.

That Sunday all of Margaret’s friends and D.A.R.W.I.N gathered around the table and told stories about dear friend. D.A.R.W.I.N. could not help his head from swivelling to face the empty chair. The night drew to a close and the guest made their way home. Now there was only Zina, Kalpa and D.A.R.W.I.N. who were all laughing deeply at a shared story about Maraget, Zina had just told quite animatedly.

“D.A.R.W.I.N.,” Kalpa said once the laughter had subsided “me and Zina were thinking that you will be all by yourself in this house now and that might get very lonely so we have a surprise for you out on the front porch.” The little robot was taken aback, this was very considerate and quite unexpected of them. Standing up he opened the door onto the porch, there in the very same box that he himself had arrived in years earlier was a little beagle puppy wrapped up in a nice little bed. D.A.R.W.I.N. had never seen anything cuter in his life. He edged towards the box careful not to wake up the sleeping pup but, CREAK! The old floor boards underneath him gave him away.

The puppy yawned and within moments was fully alert with a boundless energy only puppies have. D.A.R.W.I.N. tentatively reached down to pick up the furry little creature bouncing up and down. With a surprisingly large leap the beagle hopped up in to his hands and ran in circles chasing his tail. A grin grew into a smile which grew in to chuckle before D.A.R.W.I.N. knew he was laughing deeply. Some of the colour returned to his world.