LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER

CHAPTER 4

10.

From this point onwards, everything is entirely different. The everyday routine ends and Alioth needs to adjust in this new setup. The answers are already in front of them, it's only a matter of asking. They can know everything but the question is if they should.

Modification of the routine is surely the top priority at this point of time. Alioth wants to find more answers while Rigel suggests to enjoy the moment while it lasts. Their desire clearly extends in different directions, but it is actually possible to have both through an effective schedule. Alioth really shines on this aspect, weighing both plans, he proposed that they'll have at least an hour a day for answering questions while the rest will be in leisure. With a favorable outcome for both ends, Rigel happily agreed to their terms.

As expected, this setup is accurately being followed. On their first day of terms, a couple of questions were asked but none made sense. An Example of those questions were what kind of materials were used to create Eezo but those barely exist on Earth. Meaning to say there's a resemblance in some element but not entirely the same. What made it more complicated is the way they call the elements. Everything is numerical which makes it hard for Alioth and Rigel to at least imagine what it could look like. Indeed, it's a head scratcher moment. With that, they dropped the subject and proceeded to the latter part of the routine.

Rigel knows the neighborhood extremely well. He can locate every good place around the forest. Some were a bit far but it's definitely worth going. Since it is his time to be in charge, Rigel leads their way to the forest. Seeing a 7 foot tall (213 cm) mechanism, walking in the neighborhood will surely be problematic. Alioth and Rigel are thinking of a way to get him to the forest without catching everyone's attention. When they were about to run out of options, Eezo asked permission to suggest.

"Fineee, What do you want to suggest?" Rigel asked.

"I can turn transparent. In this manner no one will be able to spot me while walking with both of you" Eezo suggested.

Alioth and Rigel were shocked by what they had heard. "You can do that? But what about the paint that we sprayed on you?" Rigel asked.

"Those actually did not last long, it eventually dripped last night. I imitated the color pattern and changed my color the way you wanted" Eezo said.

Alioth and Rigel once again dropped their jaws. They realized the spray bottles plus their effort are wasted but they couldn't argue with the convenience Eezo has to offer. Deep down they know it's their fault for not asking, indeed, a facepalm moment. After coming back to their senses, they eventually moved as Eezo suggested.

Eezo's white and orange color combination slowly fades. Like a burning piece of paper, starting from the corner up to the other edge, merging into the thin air. The only difference is that it does not have any smoke, nor ashes.

Alioth and Rigel were both astonished, they moved closer as they tried to locate Eezo. Both of them can touch Eezo but they couldn't see even a slightest part of it. Every move that Eezo made surely impressed Alioth and Rigel, it's a never ending amusement. As everything was settled, forward to the forest they went.

It could have been faster if they were riding their bikes but Rigel said that it is safer to walk towards the area. The slopes and different obstacles along the forest will be the difficult part. Minutes of wander eventually led them to their destination. A small clear see through pond is waiting for them in the middle of nowhere.

"Here we are!" Rigel shouted as they are all mesmerized by the simplicity yet natural beauty of the place.

"Dive in!" Rigel said as he removed his shirt and jumped in the water.

Alioth is hesitant for the reason he cannot swim. Since Eezo was built to serve, it read the situation and analyzed it very well.

"Come, hold my hand and I'll teach you to swim" Eezo offered.

Alioth was surprised when Eezo figured it out. He is afraid of drowning but seeing Rigel enjoy the refreshing water made Alioth envious. He then muster his courage and with full trust, he holds both Eezo's hands and walk towards the pond.

Alioth panicked as soon as he felt that he couldn't reach the bottom. He kicked and kicked, flailing randomly. "Relax, I'm here, you are not going to drown" Eezo said.

Rigel was surprised at how a mechanical tone relaxes Alioth.

"Slowly, move your foot forward and backward, in contrast to other" Eezo instructed.

While holding Eezo's hand, Alioth does as he was told. He then started to move from his place. "You are doing it! Good job!" Rigel shouted.

Eezo floats backward as Alioth swims. They go around in circles which makes Alioth extremely happy.

"Observe Rigel on how he uses his arms to swim" Eezo said to Alioth.

Alioth nodded.

"You can use your arms forward like climbing a ladder simultaneously, if you want to swim faster. Or you can use both of your hands like going through curtains." Eezo explained.

Eezo is a bit curious about the sudden explanation.

"Slowly, I'll let you go. Do as I told you" Eezo said.

Alioth shaked his head repeatedly, fearing that he couldn't do it without Eezo.

"Relax Alioth, I'll catch you when you sink. I won't let you drown. You have to try it on your own." Eezo said.

"You can do it Alioth! I will immediately rescue you when you can't float!" Rigel supported Alioth.

While moving in circles, Eezo loosen his grip to Alioth's hand but Alioth does not want to. His grip to Eezo's hands were tighter than before, afraid of letting go. Eezo can just swim farther and force Alioth to swim for his life. Instead, Eezo still extends its arms in order for Alioth to hold onto something. They are not rushing Alioth to let go, indicating that Alioth should be the one to conquer his fear. Alioth's tighter grip makes it harder for him to swim since it drains his energy. Indeed, there are times that desperately holding on is harder than letting go.

Alioth understands the situation and the fact that Eezo is still floating backwards near him builds the trust that he needed. Even with a tremendous fear, Alioth let go. At first he thought that he would surely drown but even so, he gave his best in order to learn how to swim. There are instances that he goes down but he will eventually go back to the surface. That moment, Alioth learned how to relax even in tough times. It lessens the wasted energy on flailing in panic, he got the right harmony on how to move on the surface. Eventually Alioth learned how to swim.

"I told you! You are doing it! You did it!" Rigel Enthusiastically said.

Alioth laughs as he finally accomplished something he thought he couldn't. The heartwarming scenery gives Eezo a purpose in staying on Earth. Helping Alioth is no different to what he is programmed to do, back in its world. A new task is added to his system, "Help Alioth to stand on his own before going back to my world".

Everything went according to their plan. They all flail around and splash water everywhere, enjoying the fresh cold water with a sweet breeze of the trees. Truly an unforgettable moment for each of them.

11.

A well spent afternoon is the narrative of this day. There are certain things that need guidance in order for them to learn it. Perhaps riding a bike, doing homework, and in Alioth's case, learning how to swim.

Time surely passes by, faster than usual when you are having fun. Alioth and Rigel almost forgot that they needed to get back home before the sun went down. Good thing Eezo reminded them to not overdo things. Temperature inside the forest quickly drops and they might catch a cold when they don't leave immediately. With that said, they head back to their home. Eezo's front side flips as it gets out linear bars, once activated, everything in front of him will be heated in a tolerable temperature, perfectly cozy for Alioth and Rigel after their swimming.

"This feels good" Rigel said while they were heading back.

Alioth nodded, currently satisfied as they walked.

"The temperature is adjusted to a kid's skin tolerance," Eezo replied.

"I do wonder how hot you can produce" Rigel randomly said.

"At peak, probably melt down an ordinary metal. Metals here on Earth are extremely weak compared to the materials on our planet" Eezo answered.

Alioth realized that could be the answer to why he did not get any answer from his first experiment with Eezo's arm. The properties do not match since it does not exist on Earth in the first place.

After some minutes of walking, "We are in the neighborhood, you can turn invisible now" Rigel said.

Eezo does what Rigel said and they walk down to the neighborhood. Upon entering, they came across McPilly.

"Howdy kids!" McPilly greeted.

"Good afternoon McPilly! We are just heading home, bye now!" Rigel said.

After passing by, McPilly felt something strange. For some reason, it feels warmer for a short period of time, specifically when the kids were near him a while ago. But everything went back to normal when the kids were quite far. Eezo did not turn off his heating ray since the only order for him is to turn invisible. McPilly looks back and tries to observe if the kids are holding something that could cause it. Perhaps a lamp, or a hot chemical in a container that he failed to notice.

McPilly walked backwards to assess if the exact spot on that street is the heated one. It could potentially be a coincidence that he felt the warmth when the kids passed by. Maybe it's the street or a certain spot to blame. McPilly tried numerous times, walking back and forth in the same place. He even tried to imitate the exact speed of his movement, as well as the way he greeted the kids but he never found the result that he was looking for.

With a lot of doubt inside of his head, he ends up doubting himself. "They are probably… holding a hot chocolacoco! I should have asked for a sip!" McPilly concluded.

This day marks their 4th day of their so called "learning week". The first 2 days were observations, the 3rd day was the massive revelation while the 4th one was a fun and skill wise type of learning. Of course upon getting home, they both took a warm bath. Alioth is extremely exhausted after all the fun that they had. Rigel took the responsibility and fetched their dinner at his mother's house. They immediately eat while the food is freshly cooked. Afterwards, Alioth heads to his bed while Rigel cleans out the mess. Eezo observes Rigel's care for Alioth and it starts asking questions.

"Are you a helper?" Eezo asked Rigel.

"What do you mean?" Rigel replied while washing the dishes.

"Are you programmed to serve, just like me?" Eezo further clarified his question.

"No. Humans are not programmed to do something specifically" Rigel answered.

"Then why are you serving? Is that your purpose?" Eezo added.

"Hmm.. That's a good question." Rigel dry his hands on a piece of cloth near him and looks at Eezo. "Why? Because I want to. It's like a free will or some sort" he added.

"Free will?" Eezo asked as it tilted its head.

"Yeah, Free will. Doing something because you truly wanted it, not just because someone told you to do it" Rigel responded.

"Is having a free will your purpose?" Eezo replied.

"Everyone has a free will. To be honest, I don't know what my purpose is. I'm just helping Alioth because I care, but it does not mean I will devote my existence to it." Rigel said.

"In short, you are just fixing the current state without a general reason for existing?" Eezo questioned.

"Hmm… I guess so?" Rigel briefly answers as he thinks about it. "I am building my career for the future but it's not the reason why I exist. Do we really need to have a reason for existing?" Rigel asked.

"On my planet, yes. Sentient robots exist to serve the preeminent species. We were created for a reason, therefore our existence was programmed until the day we no longer can fulfill the duty. Even the ones who created us were categorized by their purpose from the day they were born." Eezo answered.

"What if they don't want to do what they were told to do?" Rigel replied.

"That never happens since they were guided from the moment they have the capability of thinking. As a result, that is the only thing that they can do. Even though they see the others doing something, they wouldn't try it since it's too late for them to do so." Eezo answered.

"That sounds sad… and monotonous.." Rigel commented.

"That is a subjective point of view. In the objective stance, results show that it is effective and accurate. No one seeks for their purpose since they were given one" Eezo said.

"I guess you have a point. There is still a good side in that setup. It just feels too one-angled.. or one-dimensional? I couldn't say the exact word for it but you probably get where I'm going." Rigel argued.

"Affirmative. Compared to preeminent species, humans are way too complicated. I learned all the languages and the environment here on earth quickly, but it took me some time to understand the human's existence. Everyone differs from each other, the same way they have similarities, something similar yet different." Eezo explained.

"Which makes existing way more thrilling, rather than just having a certain purpose." Rigel said.

Eezo and Rigel's discussion feels like a never ending one. A long but definitely not a boring conversation in the middle of the night. Eezo wants to understand the whole general existence of humans but Rigel does not know it either, even in the perspective as a human. At the end of the day, it's not only Alioth and Rigel who are learning, Eezo as well. Thus the journey of their 4th day comes to an end.

12.

The sun rises and their 5th day starts quite early. Alioth and Rigel were too excited to know about properties, origin, and all the logical aspects that could solve the mysteries that arose back then. Due to this reason, they forgot to ask one of the most vital questions, it's time for questions and answers.

"All those talking last night made me realize that we haven't asked you this one. Why are you here on Earth?" Rigel asked. Alioth also remembered that they should be asking that first.

"I was part of the gathering section. Our task at that point of time is to collect a specific fungus that belongs to the Basidiomycetes division. Most of them spawn on dwarf planets. Our system failed to notice an upcoming comet shower. I was caught by it and it will entirely crash my body if I go against the direction. I flew until I saw an opening to escape but then my batteries ran out. In an approximate conclusion, a debry pushed my body into this galaxy, then the gravity of this planet pulled me in" Eezo explained the situation.

"Approximate conclusion?" Rigel asked.

"Affirmative. There are no firm details since my memory stopped when my batteries ran out." Eezo answered.

"But you are solar powered right? How come that your batteries ran out? There are multiple stars out there." Rigel asked as Alioth agreed with the question.

"It is indeed true that there are multiple stars out in the universe. Though you also need to consider that there are parts of the universe where light does not reach. It is an extremely far distance between each galaxy." Eezo argued.

"You mean you are floating in space for like billions of years?" Rigel questioned.

"Probably. There is no available information regarding this matter" Eezo answered.

Alioth raised his hand quickly, indicating that he would ask something. "Could it be warped? Like through a blackhole or something that is connected in two different parts in the universe?" he wrote on his white board

"The possibility of warping through a portal or a black hole in space remains unknown but possible. That could be in a low percentage of the probable scenarios. No data available about where an object will go after it goes through the black hole" Eezo answered.

Rigel is thinking if he should ask the question *Will you go back?*. He feared that the answer was yes and it would hurt Alioth. Rigel saw a huge progress in Alioth's well-being. With the help of Eezo, they can save Alioth. After weighing the current situation, Rigel decided to not ask and flip the topic into a different one.

"Okaaaay, I think that's enough for today's questions!" Rigel said.

Alioth tilts his head, a little bit confused since it's been like half an hour.

"I know you want to ask more but let's consider Eezo's state as well. There are some questions that he could not answer. How about we rearrange the set of questions then try again tomorrow?" Rigel suggested to Alioth.

Alioth realized that Rigel might be right on this one. He agreed to drop the questions for today and then change their set of questions.

"I guess that's settled. What should we do today? Do you have something in mind? Think deep! I'll be back at school by monday!" Rigel asked Alioth.

Alioth thinks deeply, something he won't be able to do without the help of Eezo. A minute later, his eyes sparkled and he wrote "FLY!"

"Fly? Okay, maybe that's way too out of reach. That's on me, I overhyped it." Rigel responded.

"Flight mode is available, do you want to proceed?" Eezo intervened.

"Wait what! HOW?" Rigel asked.

"Our antennas can shoot beams that will levitate a certain target. As a gatherer, we used this feature to check beneath boulders." Eezo explained.

"But how about the neighborhood? They might see us!" Rigel said.

"I can turn invisible and then fly. The probability of them seeing us is close to zero percent if we will do it deep in the woods" Eezo suggested.

"Hmm… I guess there are no further arguments to it. LET'S DO IT!" Rigel said as Alioth joyfully smiled with excitement.

Just like what they did last time, Eezo turned invisible as they walked towards the forest. Shortly, they reached the target distance where no one would see them. It's time for them to execute their plan.

Alioth and Rigel positioned themselves relatively close to each other. In order for Eezo to lift them both at the same time. Upon casting the beam, they were slowly levitating upward as Eezo looked up. Alioth and Rigel panicked a little bit. It feels like they jumped but they are not falling down. They can still maneuver mid air but they could not escape from their current position. They'll go where Eezo directs them to go.

"THIS IS AWESOME!" Rigel shouted as he tried to swim mid air.

Meanwhile, Alioth is in a straight position, both arms are on his side, palms extended sideways while he is looking upwards. He is imitating how Ironman takes flight. As they reached the optimal distance, Eezo started to ignite his foot then take off as well. Instead of direct flames, Eezo is using a heatwave with a gravity manipulator that allows him to fly and have enough force to maneuver around. With that, their close to fantasy experience began.

Into the skies they go, it's a feat that no other human being has ever experienced. Up and down, Left and right, swaying and even going in circles, going through fluffy clouds has never been this mesmerizing as it is. They can feel freedom, an escape from reality, a tantalizing dream. Truly an unforgettable moment that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

After hours of flying, they landed quite near the entrance of the forest.

"Up until now, I still cannot believe that I just flew up in the skies…" Rigel feebly said.

Alioth sighed in a relaxed and happy manner. He also could not believe that just happened but Alioth is definitely satisfied.

"Up there, it feels like I can do whatever I want. It feels surreal.. It feels free.." Rigel described his sentiments as they stood there, grasping back in reality.

Alioth nodded, he wholeheartedly agreed to Rigel.

"You know what, I thought I was doing all of these for you. But to be honest, I'm learning as well. And of course having fun! Let's achieve more milestones, Alioth.." Rigel expressed his thoughts.

Alioth genuinely appreciated what Rigel said. He feels assured that he is not being a drag to Rigel. Alioth hugged Rigel tightly.

"Come on man! You are making me cry! Let's go home and eat some pizzas. My treat just don't tell mom" Rigel said as he pulled back his tears.

Eezo is trying to comprehend the scenario in front of him. It tilts its head, confused about the emotions shown. Eezo came closer and hugged them both to understand.

"Okay okay! You as well, we appreciate you buddy" Rigel said to Eezo.

Alioth laughs while having quite teary eyes. Thus the 5th day of their learning week comes to a heartwarming end.

Sometimes, the small details are the difference maker. In a very complicated path, overcoming small problems will help someone to deal with the bigger ones. Alioth is far from his redemption, it feels like a huge boulder suddenly blocks his path towards a brighter future. No way around, just need to outdone what's in front of him. It's near impossible for a child to climb such a humongous piece of hurdle in front him. Luckily, with the help of everyone around him, they can all chip away the rock into a stone, into a pebble. Hoping someday Alioth can break the boulder ahead of him while everyone around him discovers new things.

-It is easy to say that the one who is being helped by others is the only beneficiary of the scenario. The outcome fools the eye as everyone will focus on the result. The progress proves them wrong as both the giver and the receiver learn from one another.