SkD appeared at her side, images glowing on its screen.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Emma’s mouth. “Of course you can have a hug!”

She wrapped her arms around the small robot.

How can I describe what happened next? It must have been a result of my overworked operating system. I was not built to withstand so much in such a short amount of time. No matter how many fans hummed inside me, my processors were burning up.

I was exhausted/drained/pooped.

For once in my life, I was not thinking about anything at all.

Before I realized what I was doing, I leaned over and stretched my arms around Emma/SkD. An instant later, I felt a heavy weight on my shoulder. A giant metal hand. Ceeron joined in.

A definition pinged inside my programming.

Group Hug. Noun. 1. When three or more individuals embrace. 2. An ancient gesture used by humans to show affection, support, and/or solidarity.

My memory skipped like a stone on a still pond. Over twelve years into the past. All the way back to Day[1]. My first minutes of life. The way Parent_1 had reached around me. I thought it was hugging me, but I was wrong.

It was unplugging me.

Twelve years was a long time between giving a hug and receiving one back.

It was worth the wait.

01100011

There was one thing I needed to say. I did not know whether this was the right time—inside a TransportDrone, surrounded by flickering screens—but I did not care.

I had delayed long enough.

“I want you to know something,” I said to Emma/Ceeron/SkD. “You are my . . .”

The word hovered at the edge of my vocabulary drive. I hesitated one final moment.

“You are my friends.”

Silence.

For a second, this was the only response.

Maybe I should not have said anything. Maybe I should have kept my friendship to myself. Maybe—

SkD’s screen glowed.

One image. Many meanings.

I approve.

It is about time.

Let us be friends.

Ceeron said, “Me, too.”

“I knew it!” Emma’s excited voice mixed with the humming engines. “You guys are total BFFs!”

As the four of us were group-hugging and talking about friendship, the floor shifted. The O-shaped platform lowered, carrying us back down.

Out of the DigitalDome.

KA-THUNK! The platform landed in the middle of the forest clearing. We stepped off, and the giant metal O lurched into motion again, returning to the enormous X in the sky.

And like a magic trick, the rising platform revealed something marvelous underneath.

The hatch.

Emma slung her backpack off her shoulder. She unzipped a front pouch, reached inside, and removed a slim/metal/gray object. About the length of her pointer finger. Round at one end, jagged at the other. I searched my image database, and the object’s name appeared.

Key