Watching over the End of a World

The epilogue comes in the form of a formidable block of paper. The first few pages have some occasional blotted out words censored by black marker, but as you flip through, at some point the redactions come to an end. It seems the person doing the redactions didn't have enough time, or perhaps they simply gave up on the block of text.

Reading through, it seems to be a detailed account of the life stories of Rob and Robbo, printed in excruciating detail. It was a eulogy of sorts, for a robot who made it out, its life and memories carved into history. The picnic they'd had a few summers ago, the snowfall last winter, the times they'd gone to 'Get Mugged' on a lazy afternoon. The time they'd spent cleaning the house for a friend's visit. As one might flip through the ream of paper, eventually, they reach the point in the only truly relevant part of the story:

…as Robin kicks his feet back and forth.

“I don't know, Robbo, they've been in there for a while. Surely they'd have found some sign by now, right?”

Rob sits facing outwards along the path, the bunker doors behind looming overhead.

“I was sure it'd take a while, Robin. The facility was massive when I was kept there. It's a miracle I was able to make it out. All we can really do is hope they come out of everything unscathed.”

Two girls at the edge of a world, caught in embrace. I'm holding on a close as I can. Caught between what I want and what I know must happen.

I don't want to let go. I want her to hold on to me. I want her to stay. I want this comfort. This peace. I want her to have my whole world, even if it is less than she deserves.

But it can't be. I hate that it can't, but Sam Mimi Sammi I need you to save leave s̶a̸v̵e̵ ḻ̵͒ẹ̶͊a̸̛͕v̶̬͝e̶̹̾ s̵͉̯̄̊a̶̳͍̽v̵̜͍̕ê̴͈ l̶̯̰̪͎̈́̀̾̒͋ͅi̸̤̍̇̀͗̒̆̚̕͝v̶͕͎̦̈̔̃̔̚ê̴͈

…

Please.

After another hour or so, Mimi emerges from the bunker doors once more. She walks into the light alone, the sun's radiance dissolving away the dark.

She told Rob and Robbo that Sam found her way to the teleporter, that she made it back to where she is supposed to be. That they could all go home.

And so they left the bunker behind once more. No-one would set foot there again, and so it melted away into the horizon. Abandoned once more, this time for good.

Robin took Robert back to the house, where they told his mum about their adventure today and their plans for tomorrow.

Robin sits at the kitchen table in silence. For a couple hours now, since waking up, he's been here. Watching the leaves fall past the window to their place on the ground below.

The house feels so empty now without his constant companion. He would always cringe at the sound of its creaking joints, the way its servos would scratch and grate against its rusty chassis. He misses its voice more, the vibrations of its tinny little voice box as it told another corny joke or asked where they were going today.

It's just quiet now.

All things must come to an end.