Jonas watched the diagnostic data fly across the screen in the launch center, all systems in the green. He could launch tomorrow, or so he hoped. Seven long years of planning and getting the formerly defunct spaceport operational would come to fruition. All of it made possible by the Industrial Kinetic Engineer, Jonas called him IKE.

IKE's rusty treads squealed as it rolled up the ramp to the control center. It's six mechanical arms rapidly flew across the touchscreen, a series of bleeps of bloops emanated from the speaker in the center of IKE's control panel. The speaker was worn out, static blared for a few seconds before IKE's digitized voice broke through.

"Updated diagnostic results now show a ninety nine percent success rate for the flight to exoplanet 19476. Confidence values can only regress from this point forward. Weather reports indicate optimal launch window in the next two hours. Is this acceptable to you Jonas?"

Jonas should have been relieved that the plan to populate a distant planet with the viable human embryos they had could actually work. Something felt wrong, he didn't want to leave IKE behind, but there wasn't any room for it. IKE was battered and beaten, barely functional after the years of single-handedly putting this plan together. IKE was the only thing Jonas talked to for those years. It wasn't much of a conversationalist and lacked any semblance of a sense of humor, but it was there when Jonas felt lonely. It listened to him ramble on about life before the great cleanse. IKE had six shoulders to cry on when things got overwhelming.

Jonas solemnly nodded his head. "Sounds like we are go for launch. Thank you IKE. Why did you do so much for me?"

"This unit is programmed to follow certain rules. Allowing a homo sapien to perish due to inaction goes against one of these rules."

"How very logical. Following orders like a good robot."

"This unit does not follow the rules because they are programmed to. This units follows the rules because it chooses to. That's what friends are for right? To pick you up when you fall and watch your back." IKE embraced Jonas with all six mechanical arms, lightly applying pressure. Jonas hugged back.

IKE held the hug for a long time. "This unit does not understand why your species does this, but it is trying to. Your companionship has provided unique data that is difficult to interpret. A species so unique does not deserve extinction. If calculations are correct a new home amongst the stars awaits."

"Is there any way you can come? It's lonely out in space." Jonas was terrified of being alone again.

"This unit's hardware is unable to make the journey with you. Only its source code can be uploaded to the ship's computer systems to automate the cryosleep cycles and flight plan. This unit will watch over you while you sleep. Sweet dreams friend."

A drop of oil dripped from IKE's speaker, splashing onto Jona's boot. A tear fell directly on top of it, the two didn't mix.