There had been a trial in the North. It was harder than most, ED-E thinks, because they had all gotten separated. Alex and Neil from each other, and later ED-E was taken from Alex. Taken and halfway dismantled, and ED-E thankfully doesn't remember any of that, only remembers waking to Alex's quiet voice gentling him and his hands, shaking, as they snapped his chassis back into place. They had been separated. And later, when they were close to all finding each other, they had been separated further.
Because Dogmeat had died.
It's not something he doesn't understand. He knows that some, like the scientist who hates him, would think that he can't comprehend death of old age especially, because ED-E will never die, not like that. Like Rex, Roxie, and the Think Tank, eventually ED-E will run down, but with no organic parts, his father's inventiveness in his power source, and Alex's stable upgrades, ED-E will probably be around for half a millennium.
It's not a happy thing, despite Alex's encouragements that ED-E will get to see how things change and move. It's not a happy thing for the reason he just learned--because he will be left alone, when his family is gone.
So when Alex told him to follow Neil, to look out for him, ED-E didn't need any more prompting. Being around Alex was hard right now, because ED-E thought of his shaking hands petting over him, looking for anything wrong, and ED-E thought of the lines around his eyes, and how he has only known him five years, and ED-E thought of his dad and wondered if he was gone like Dogmeat was. And ED-E remembered how Dogmeat loved Neil, how Alex loves Neil, and how ED-E likes Neil, and he remembers how Neil's dad is dead, and Neil's baby is dead, and now Neil's Dogmeat is gone, too.
Alex goes inside himself, like he always always does, but Neil goes away. And ED-E thinks Neil needs watching more.
When Neil calls for him, ED-E buzzes forward, around the boulder he was by. He hovers there expectantly, moving up and down slowly.
no subject
Because Dogmeat had died.
It's not something he doesn't understand. He knows that some, like the scientist who hates him, would think that he can't comprehend death of old age especially, because ED-E will never die, not like that. Like Rex, Roxie, and the Think Tank, eventually ED-E will run down, but with no organic parts, his father's inventiveness in his power source, and Alex's stable upgrades, ED-E will probably be around for half a millennium.
It's not a happy thing, despite Alex's encouragements that ED-E will get to see how things change and move. It's not a happy thing for the reason he just learned--because he will be left alone, when his family is gone.
So when Alex told him to follow Neil, to look out for him, ED-E didn't need any more prompting. Being around Alex was hard right now, because ED-E thought of his shaking hands petting over him, looking for anything wrong, and ED-E thought of the lines around his eyes, and how he has only known him five years, and ED-E thought of his dad and wondered if he was gone like Dogmeat was. And ED-E remembered how Dogmeat loved Neil, how Alex loves Neil, and how ED-E likes Neil, and he remembers how Neil's dad is dead, and Neil's baby is dead, and now Neil's Dogmeat is gone, too.
Alex goes inside himself, like he always always does, but Neil goes away. And ED-E thinks Neil needs watching more.
When Neil calls for him, ED-E buzzes forward, around the boulder he was by. He hovers there expectantly, moving up and down slowly.