Emma nodded once. Her expression was unreadable, shrouded with shadows. “It’s okay, XR. You weren’t around when it happened. Neither was I.”

“You are correct. We are only twelve.”

“Exactly. We’re just a couple of kids who got stuck with the mess grown-ups left behind.”

01000000

An inventory of the objects we gathered while exploring Mountain Pass Mall:

Hiking boots. Wool blanket. Pillow. Sweater. Shirts. Socks. Shorts. Underwear. Spare backpack. Pants. Sunglasses. Binoculars. Umbrella.

These items clattered inside a shopping cart that Emma pushed.

She stopped next to a shelf of lotions and grabbed a bottle. “Check it out! Sunscreen! Now I won’t get sunburned.”

I scanned the text printed on the bottle. “It says this sunscreen expired twenty-eight years ago.”

“Oh.” Emma set the bottle back on the shelf. “Maybe not.”

Emma’s cart squeaked through the dark/ruined mall.

Soon we arrived at a shop called Bermuda Bob’s. She grabbed a wide-brimmed hat off a rack, holding it up for me to see.

“Cool, huh?” she said.

“It is too big for you,” I observed.

“Yeah, but it’s not for me.” Emma hopped onto her tiptoes, lifting the hat. She placed it on my head. “It’s for you!”

I had never worn a hat before. It was an unfamiliar sensation.

Stepping back, Emma rubbed her chin, considering. “Okay, now you need a shirt to go with it.”

“Robots do not wear hats and clothing,” I pointed out.

“How come?”

“Because they are unnecessary.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong.” Emma grabbed an item of clothing off another rack. “This is definitely necessary!”

It was a bright red shirt, covered in white cartoon flowers.

“You have to try this on!” she said.

I shook my head. The hat wobbled from side to side.

Emma ignored me. She unbuttoned the shirt, slipped one of the sleeves over my left arm, and repeated this process on my right arm.

“Okay, seriously.” She smiled at me. “You—look—awesome!”

Emma grabbed my hand, pulling me in front of a mirror.

I stared at the reflection.

The reflection stared back at me.

We barely recognized each other.

The hat covered the top of my head. My silver neck rose from the collar of the bright red shirt.

The clothing made me look different.

More human.

Emma gazed at my reflection in the mirror. “I think you’re gonna start some major robotic fashion trends.”

I did not respond. Because at that moment, a message from Ceeron flashed across my circuitry. All thoughts of human clothing ended.

EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!

Come quickly. SkD’s battery just died.

01000001

How could I have been so illogical? The power had just drained from SkD’s operating system. And what was I doing when it happened? Playing dress-up at the mall.

When I told Emma the news, the smile dropped from her face. Her eyes went huge with fear. “Where is he?”