Chapter Text
It felt like it was just yesterday.
It has been decades since Buy n' Large's flagship starliner, The Axiom, returned and landed on Earth after centuries of wandering in space. The return of the Axiom also marked the return of other starliners - and humans once again walked the Earth.
The Earth was far from perfect, but somehow, it managed. The combined forces of human determination and advanced robotics and technology made nature possible to thrive once more.
Burt McCrea, now well into his early 50s, reflects back on the day he brought the Axiom back to Earth. Today was by chance the anniversary of the return and people were ready to celebrate. People and robots alike, hand in hand in the preparation of the annual week-long festival. Lights were hanging from one building to another and there was music from every street corner. The lively chattering of people and robots filled the vibrant atmosphere.
From the balcony of his home, McCrea adverts his gaze from the streets below to a sight in the far distance - The Axiom. The behemoth of a starliner was idly standing, slowly being overtaken by nature. An irony in itself, considering what had taken place within decades ago.
... McCrea felt bad.
He always did, to be fair.
Every time he looked back to the Axiom, he remembers the fight. AUTO's rebellion against his orders to return to Earth. Directive A-113. The moments of pure adrenaline coursing through his body as he wrestles the taller figure for his dear life. It was harsh. It was horrible. Those few critical minutes felt like literal hell in space.
... But McCrea felt bad. He felt bad for AUTO. He genuinely felt awful.
Turning AUTO into manual was a last effort to fend for himself and save everyone. It was either him being tased and everyone else failing to return to Earth and WALL-E being completely crushed or the autopilot's shutdown. Any rational mind would know what to pick. Any rational mind being at the brink of being killed by a 6'4" humanoid AI would know what to pick.
But, AUTO wasn't exactly at fault, was he? He was an AI, he was programmed to follow orders and directives. A-113 was a complete override of all other orders. In a way, AUTO was simply doing what he was told to. Perhaps, he thought everyone else was committing mutiny against him?
... McCrea thought it was time he should make amends. He has to return to the Axiom.
And that's exactly what he did.
"McCrea, sir," The EVE probe chimed as the ex-captain slashed through the overgrowth surrounding the interiors of the Axiom with a machete on hand, "Are you sure this is safe?"
"Why are we here again?" The WALL-E bot also chimed in, threading carefully through the vines on the floor - having to already trip on them thrice.
"... Sorry for dragging you two back here, but this is important for me to do," McCrea stated.
"More important than the festival?" asked WALL-E.
McCrea didn't answer.
...
Eventually, the trio made their way to the abandoned lido deck. It was a bad memory all over again with the sight of the abandoned hover chairs scattered all over the deck and the broken people mover that was ripped off its track when the ship tilted.
McCrea wasn't here to remember all that.
He stood at the elevator that would've led up to the bridge. He pressed the UP button to no response. He tried again, no response.
He sighed, as expected. The ship's power reactor had long shut off since they landed after all.
McCrea turned to EVE, "Eve, could you try to surge some power to the elevator? We need to get to the bridge."
EVE hesitated at first, but then nodded to the order, "Yes, sir."
She hovers close to the buttons and places her hand on them. Squinting her vision, she focuses her energy to her hand and into the elevator system. Sparks flew here and there and after a big surge and a mildly alarming smoke emitting from the wiring, the buttons' lights flickered on.
EVE shook her hand, dissipating any leftover charge.
"Eva?" WALL-E held her free hand in worry.
"I am okay," she calmed the other bot before turning to McCrea, "Elevator should be working now, sir."
"Thank you, Eve. Now come, follow me please," McCrea gave a hand gesture for the two bots to follow him into the elevator and the two obliged.
The ride up was slow and rough as the elevator plowed through the overgrowth, but with a bit of hasty prayers they managed to reach the bridge unharmed.
Again, the lights were off and all computer systems were offline due to the power shutdown. McCrea flashed a flashlight he brought along and carefully made his way around, trying to find the switch to the backup power. Both EVE and WALL-E helped and, by dumb luck, WALL-E accidentally activated it as he once again tripped on a vine. The deck sprung back to life and the crackling voice of the computer boomed with a loud "BACKUP POWER ACTIVATED.", frightening WALL-E as he cowers behind EVE.
McCrea shielded his eyes from the lights returning back on before he rests his sight on a harrowing yet all too familiar view.
Sprawled limp on top of the control modules, a tall robot in a white and black uniform. The head still connected to an arm that extended up to the ceiling and segments of a white and black wheel slowly levitated back to circle the head. The overgrowth just barely slithers over the entire figure.
There laid AUTO, same as when McCrea left him offline decades ago.
WALL-E peeked from behind EVE and yelped, "We here for him??"
"Sorry, Wall-E, I probably should've told you why we're here. See... I wanted to give Auto a second chance. It's been too long of a delay."
Now it was EVE's turn to be surprised, "You want to reactivate him, sir? After what he did to you?" There was a hint of anger in her synthetic voice. Clearly, she didn't like the idea either.
"No! Wall-E refuse!" protested WALL-E, "Auto hurt Wall-E! Auto hurt Eva and McCrea! Auto bad!"
"Wall-E..." McCrea sighed, "I know. I know this sounds insane to both of you. I know what Auto did was bad, the whole mutiny and all... but," He looked solemnly at the autopilot's body, "Auto was just doing what he thought- no, what he was programmed to think was the right course of action."
McCrea walked over to AUTO's body and began to remove several vines that were coiled around the hydraulic arm. EVE and WALL-E only stood by and watched.
"Auto had all the right to have second thoughts about returning to Earth," McCrea continued, "He only wanted for humanity to survive now that I think about it. Hyperjumping back to Earth when the full scale of things was limited was a critical decision after all. All the proof we had was but a little sprout."
"But he hurt many..." WALL-E whined.
"I know."
For a while, it was silence.
"It's... complicated. I'm sorry."
"Sir..." EVE sighed, almost sounding disappointed at McCrea's choice of action.
The last vine was torn off the arm, revealing the mode switch console. Like the many decades prior, it rested on the MANUAL setting.
"Eve, Wall-E. Please stand by. You know, just in case this goes awry."
The worry in the ex-captain's voice was genuine. EVE assumed a defensive stance while WALL-E hunkered behind her.
The moment of truth.
Slowly, McCrea reached for the switch. He hesitated but took deep breaths before turning the switch back to AUTO.
McCrea stumbles back as the hydraulic arm rumbles. It began to move, bringing the slumped robot into a default standing position. The lights on the robot's body started to flicker on one by one, the wheels turning as they began to synchronize with the main body.
The glaring reds flicker on as AUTO began to open his eyes for the first time in decades. The sound of his optics readjusting was loud and distinct. But, he was missing the ominous red beams around the wheels. There was no active connection to the Axiom.
"...Auto," McCrea called out softly.
AUTO's body abruptly jolted, causing EVE to activate her blaster arm and WALL-E to yelp in fear.
The familiar eerie gaze.
"Captain."
The familiar monotone synthetic vocalizer.
A small sense of relief. At least AUTO was still able to recognize him despite his old age, "Auto... hey, buddy? Uhm, how are you feeling?"
Silence.
And AUTO's arm switches into his taser.
"Auto-?!"
"Must follow my directives. Captain, you are a hindrance."
EVE points her blaster at AUTO, but McCrea makes a gesture for her to not shoot. McCrea kept one hand on the handle of his machete.
"Auto! We are already on Earth! Your directive is no longer relevant! Put your weapon away, that is an order!"
"Not possible," AUTO retaliated in his usual fashion. He moves closer to McCrea, pointing the taser straight at him, "Cease and desist."
"AUTO! STOP!" McCrea finally cried out, stopping AUTO in his tracks. "For the love of God, look around you! Look at all these greens! Directive A-113 was wrong! We managed to rejuvenate Earth and recolonize!" McCrea flails his arm to show the bridge while not leaving his sight on the autopilot, "Operation Cleanup succeeded! Whatever that blasted dead CEO said centuries ago was wrong!"
AUTO's focus was then shifted away from McCrea. First, he glanced at EVE and WALL-E, then at his surroundings.
Biological matter. All around. Entangled between the metallic and the artificial matter of the control deck. Plants. Growing and thriving. His sensor warnings were screaming bloody murder in his processor.
"Not possible," AUTO was still in denial.
"...Auto, damn it." McCrea grunts as he slowly stands back up, "Auto. What do you last remember?"
AUTO returned his glance at McCrea and retracted his taser, squinting as his processor shifted from the never-ending A-113 alert and dug through his memory bank. Decades of void and nothingness. Nothing but endless static and isolation.
Until he hits a recorded memory. He looked... angry about it.
"You switched me to manual," AUTO replied, trying to suppress a rising anger in his vocalizer.
"...Correct. Anything else?"
"No further memory beyond that."
"Right..."
Another silent standoff before McCrea spoke again.
"Auto. I know this is a lot for you to take in right now, but I want to make things right with you again."
"I do not understand."
"Auto, I want to give you a second chance. I want you to live with us here on Earth, outside of the Axiom."
McCrea's statement made WALL-E cry out another offended yelp.
"Him?! With us?!" He protested once more.
"Wall-E! Shh!" Hushed EVE.
"Like I said, it's a lot to take in. But it seems only fair. I know you, uh, tried to kill me and all that, but I know you were doing it because you had no choice but to follow your directive. But things changed, Auto, the Earth is liveable for everyone now and I want you to experience it for yourself," McCrea slowly extended a hand to the autopilot, "So, what do you say, buddy?" He gave him a hopeful but genuine smile.
AUTO stared into McCrea's hand.
Then, he turned his back on him.
"Request denied."
"...What?"
"Request denied," AUTO repeated.
"Auto..."
"I am wired to the Axiom," AUTO began, "In no condition should an autopilot unit abandon their designated ship."
"If that's your only reason, that can be easily fixed, Auto," McCrea looks back at EVE, "Eve, could you fly over to the Repair Ward? I'm sure they have spare power backpack compartments. If you find any, bring them back here please."
Before EVE could fly out, AUTO zips past McCrea and halts EVE in her tracks, "Stop."
McCrea was starting to grow agitated with the autopilot, "Auto. Let the probe do what I ordered her to do. We can detach you from the Axiom system and divert your system to run on the power pack instead. That way you can leave the Axiom with us."
"That won't be necessary, Captain."
"Auto. Give it a chance. Even if you stay in here, you won't be able to do anything. The deck is running on backup power and prayers and it won't last you another 3 days. Besides, you won't be able to start the Axiom anymore, the reactors are offline and there isn't anyone left onboard. You're literally attached to a dead rock."
"I must carry out my duty regardless."
"There isn't any duty left, Auto! The Axiom has landed, humans have left and thrived outside and Buy n' Large is long defunct. God, Auto, it's not that hard to understand!" McCrea threw his hands up and groaned. "Auto, buddy. I understand you might be hurt. That's why I want to make it up to you."
"I am not hurt." AUTO retorts. Kind of a lie.
"You really don't need to sugarcoat it, you know? But, well, that's my offer to you. Either let us detach you off the Axiom and join us outside... or you know, stay here alone until the backup power dies out and you'd be rendered offline again."
AUTO didn't answer.
"If that's still a no from you, fine then," McCrea began to walk towards the elevator... almost mockingly, "Wall-E, Eve, let's leave him be. Sucks to be you," He blew a raspberry at him while the other two bots watch in confusion.
...Surprisingly, AUTO zips again, this time blocking the elevator door right before McCrea could reach for the buttons.
"Wait."
An eyebrow raise, "Hm?"
"... Request recalculated."
A smile crept up McCrea's face, "Yeaaaaah?"
A mechanical sigh of defeat.
"Do as you wish, Captain."
A burst of loud laughter as McCrea takes AUTO's hand in a vigorous handshake - flabbergasting the autopilot, "That's the spirit, Blinky!" ...Can't believe that actually worked, "Now don't you worry, we'll make you feel right at home! Haha! Right. Eve? Repair Ward, please. And Wall-E?"
WALL-E jolts.
"Can you help detach Auto? You still have that laser cutter thingy, don't you? Once the arm's off, we can immediately hook him up to the power pack!"
"Ehhhhhhgghhhh......" WALL-E glances at AUTO wearily. AUTO returns the glance with his usual glare, psyching WALL-E out into nodding.
"Great!" McCrea claps his hands, "Let's get to work, everyone!"
It took a bit of work and a lot of convincing WALL-E to detach AUTO off the hydraulic arm and for AUTO to stay still and to stop the two from possibly starting a beef with each other again, but eventually the job was done. For the first time in his entire active life, AUTO stood on the floor without the arm holding him up. Calibration was rather quick, but AUTO did lose balance every now and then before his system finally adjusted itself to Earth's gravity. The feeling was strange to him. Like a toddler first learning how to walk. How embarrassing, he thought.
"How are you feeling now, Auto?"
"... Adjusting, Captain."
"That's a good start! Also, lose the whole captain thing, would ya? It's just McCrea from now on, okay?" McCrea pats AUTO on his back compartment.
"...Aye aye, Cap- ... McCrea, sir."
Another laughter from the old man, "Eve, Wall-E, you two can head out first. I can take it from here with Auto."
"McCrea... sure?" asked WALL-E. The little bot was still untrusting of the autopilot. A valid worry.
McCrea nods, "Don't worry about me. I'm in safe hands."
That made EVE and WALL-E exchange weary glances, but they did as told anyway and headed back down the elevator.
...
"Sir. Directive?"
Man, when was the last time McCrea heard him say that? Never, probably.
"Uhm, well, we'll head out in a bit too. If you want to do one final check of the place then be my guest. A farewell to the Axiom, if you will."
AUTO blinked before he focused on his visual hub. It was limited, having been detached from the system. All he can monitor now is his own system's workings and the visuals around him. Two icons still remained constant, however.
The icon that linked him to the A-113 directive, now slowly being suppressed from activating alarms in his systems, and the icon to call for GO-4, his subordinate.
Right. He hasn't seen GO-4 around, has he? But in any case, he would always answer to his call whenever needed. It was the entire purpose of his private network with the bot. There was no way he'd leave with the humans. Not after everything they both did. Even if the directive were to fail, GO-4 should've stood guard at all times.
AUTO speed dials GO-4, but the icon fails to respond. GO-4 wasn't receiving his call.
"Not possible," AUTO muttered.
"Hm?"
AUTO attempts to dial GO-4 again. No response. The call didn't go through.
"Something wrong?"
AUTO turns to McCrea, "GO-4 is uncontactable."
Ah, the other mutineer.
"Hrm... I don't exactly remember if GO-4 left the Axiom with us when it landed and I don't recall ever seeing them around where everyone lives."
"Not possible. GO-4 follows the same directive by proxy," AUTO admitted. Another attempt, no result, "But if such is the case, GO-4 should remain in range of contact."
McCrea folds his arms to think, "Maybe... he's still in the Axiom, somewhere? I mean, it's possible he's uh, stuck somewhere? And he's rendered offline because of the power shutdown?"
"Even in a case of a main power shutdown, active gopherbots are still capable of receiving a call signal."
"Then...." Damn it, his own memories were failing him. Woes of old age.
Ah.
"Wait..."
"Sir?"
McCrea remembers now. He turns his sight to a distinct cracked hole in one of the deck's windows. It wasn't a significantly large hole, but it was, in a way, perfectly gopherbot-sized.
"Uhh, Auto. Remember that fight we had..."
"Vividly, sir."
McCrea scratches his head, "Uhh, I think I may have accidentally... tschh... how do I say this?"
AUTO said not a word as he waited.
"GO-4 might've accidentally fallen off," McCrea kept short.
"... I do not understand."
"I think I might've hit him when we fought and he crashed through that window, over there," McCrea points to the hole in the window. AUTO turns his sight to it and pulls up a scan of the hole. A loud click of his optics rang after.
"... Irrelevant. GO-4 was not summoned during our altercation."
McCrea gave AUTO a worried look. Was he perhaps... in denial? Did it finally connect to him?
McCrea then points to the control modules, "No, remember how you dragged me across all that? Might've hit a button that called him and well, you know all too well how he acts. It's only logical, Auto. Besides, how else would you explain the broken window? Neither of us threw anything out, right?"
AUTO fell silent.
"Auto... all I'm saying is that GO-4 might be-"
"GO-4 must be retrieved."
"Auto?"
AUTO quickly turned to flimsyly run towards the elevator. He was holding down the DOWN button as if hoping it'd call the elevator back up quicker. He was antsy. He was... panicking?
McCrea catches up to him as best as his old man legs could manage. He just barely managed to hop into the elevator before AUTO slammed the DOWN button with all his might.
AUTO looked tense throughout the elevator's slow and rough descent down. That was something entirely new, considering his already rigid posture.
"Auto... are you worried about GO-4?"
AUTO said nothing.