Class Reunion

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

This story was the result of a bit of depression on my part, which I attempted to get over with a glass of Sake


Shibugaki grumbled as he attempted to fit into his tux. He looked across the room at his wife who was already dressed and was now applying makeup to her face.

“What's taking you so long?” she asked Shib.

“This thing is a bit tight on me,” he barked back, “Besides, who the hell wears a tuxedo to a school reunion anyway. This isn't supposed to be a formal affair, it's just a get together with the guys I used to hang out with as a kid!”

“Don't you want to look successful?” His wife asked. “I'd think you'd want your old friends to know how well your business was doing, putting on a good appearance is important in the business world.”

“I don't need to brag to my old buddies,” Shib countered. He already manged to get the trousers on after sucking in his gut, and was now fumbling with the studs on the shirt. “Will you at least give me a hand with these?” he begged.


Kenichi had mixed feelings about going to the reunion. While most of his friends from school had either gone into business or academic research organizations, he'd pursued his dreams of professional sports. He'd made it into the upper ranks of several minor league teams in both Baseball and Soccer. While he'd never made it big time into the Major's, the minor league teams he'd played were very successful in their markets, and he'd done fairly well for himself from several advertising contracts. After his playing days had ended, Kenichi went into business for himself and was now the owner of a small sporting goods store in downtown Tokyo.

He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully polished his shoes. The suit he'd selected from his closet for the occasion lay neatly on the bed behind him. Kenichi looked over at the clock on the night stand, and he realized he'd better hurry up and get dressed if he was going to be on time. Luckily he was within a short walk of the JR station, it would be an easy ride downtown to the hotel where the reunion party was being held.


Tamao finished brushing his hair, and then donned the jacket that he'd carefully placed over the back of a chair. His wife was packing her purse, making sure that she'd hadn't forgotten anything. Tamao had done well for himself, he'd started several companies that manufactured products based on his many inventions, and then he'd sold those companies for many times their original worth. Looking in the mirror, he wondered if his old buddies would recognize him. His short cut hair under a gizmoized baseball cap was gone, replaced by a much fuller hairstyle. Also gone were his thick glasses, made obsolete by Lasik surgery, and contact lenses.

“Ready to go dear?” he asked his wife.

“Just give me a few more minutes,” she cooed, “I still need to find my watch.”
“You mean the one on your wrist?” Tamao laughed.

“Oh dear, you're right!” she sighed, “Forgive me, I'm just a bit nervous tonight.”

“Don't worry Dear,” Tamao said kissing his love on the cheek, “You'll like my old friends, really great bunch of guys.”



Yuko's voice suddenly came over the intercom and caught Reno's attention. “You're going to be late for your reunion,” she reminded him.

Reno face palmed and realized that he'd completely forgotten about the event. Ever since he'd taken over Dr. O'Shay's position following his unexpected and untimely death a few years ago, the young man had found himself completely buried in his work. Having to run the day to day activities of the Ministry of Science, as well as his own research on advanced robotics had been taking up all of his time. Reno had insisted on Yuko remaining on as his administrative assistant, the position she had performed under O'Shay, only with a promotion in title and in salary.

“Don't worry, I've had your personal robotic assistant get your suit cleaned and pressed and it's hanging in your closet,” Yuko added, “I knew you'd forget and not have time to go home to change.”

“Arigatō,” Reno replied, as he headed out of his office toward his private room across the hallway. Once inside his personal chambers, he showered and dressed. Reno really didn't want to take any time off, he had plenty of work to get done, but he did want to see the old gang again. It had been ages since they'd last got together. He figured that he could spare a few hours, and then make some excuse to leave. Worst case, he'd have another sleepless night of catchup later in the week.


Uran had waited till the last minute to fill out the RVSP card. She'd only hung out with the boys once in a while up in the tree house, but they had accepted her as one of the gang, especially when they needed some robot pedal power to get Tamao's sky cycle airborne when Astro wasn't around. The thing that had finally helped her make up her mind to attend was Cobalt insisting that they go. She still lived in the Metro City area, working as a veterinarian associated with the zoo.

Kobaruto had also received an invitation and he was so thrilled that he was included in the reunion that he accepted immediately. Of course he had to take a short leave of absence from his teaching duties, but since MIT had granted him tenureship that wasn't going to be a big issue, and he knew just who he could grab to cover his Astronomy and Cosmology lectures.

The two of them helped each other get dressed for the occasion. Cobalt had arranged for a limousine to take them to the affair, the hired car had just arrived and was waiting outside of Uran's house.



Atlas had little trouble getting the suit on over his Daichi persona body. He looked across the room and saw Astro just sitting in front of the TV watching a very old rerun of some ancient cartoon show. “Get off your butt and get dressed!” he yelled at his roommate.

“For the last time Baka, I'm not going!” Astro yelled back.

“Don't make me ruin my suit by transforming into my battle bot form to slug some sense into your head,” Atlas yelled back. “You're going, and that's final. Give me one good reason why not.”

Astro got up and walked toward Atlas. “Just look at me. What do you see?”

“I see my best friend, companion, and half brother,” Atlas said gently placing a hand on Astro's shoulder.

“Yeah well I see a nine year old kid that is going to feel so out of place among his former friends who are now middle aged successful adults.” Astro sighed. “They've out grown me, and I'd feel so out of place in their presence.”

“I always wondered why you slowly started to only associate with other robots,” Atlas voiced. “At first I thought that you'd finally seen the light and agreed with my old beliefs. That of course didn't make any sense to me, especially after I 'grew up'.”

“You just don't get it,” Astro sighed, looking away.

“No, I think I do,” Atlas piped back. “You crawled inside of that mental cave right after Dr. O'Shay passed away. In fact, I had to hog tie you and drag you to his funeral.”

Astro got up and paced across the room, scuffing his moon boots across the tile floor. “Yeah, well loosing him hit me real hard.”

“Sure it did,” Atlas said softly, “The old man was like a father to you.”

“You know I wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for O'Shay,” Astro said, “I'd have been rusting away inside of that storage canister buried in the sub-basement of the Ministry where Tenma left me.”

“You know, those flesh bags are going to be very disappointed if you don't show up,” Atlas sniped. “They all have fond memories of you.”

“Yeah, and if I do attend, I'll look exactly the way they remember me.” Astro shot back, “while I'll have to do lots of image processing to match my mental images of them against how they look now before I'll be able to recognize them. And BTW, don't you DARE refer to my friends as flesh bags!”

“Well, I struck a nerve, didn't I!” Atlas laughed. “Good! I guess you do care, maybe enough to get dressed and get out of this apartment for the first time in a few years!”
Atlas opened the closet and removed Astro's suit, and then tossed the garment at his roommate. “Get dressed!”, he bellowed.

“Think I'll shower first!” Astro huffed back. He walked towards the bathroom, shoving
Atlas aside as he walked past. He slammed the door behind him. Atlas shrugged his shoulders, but then heard the sound of water running in the bathtub, and smiled.



Shibugaki poured himself a glass of champagne and held the glass at eye level, tapping the rim of it with a spoon to make a ringing sound. He waited till the room grew silent before speaking.
“Thank's for coming everyone!” he said. “I'm so glad that we all could take time out from our busy lives to restore our friendship!”

Shunsaku Ban raised his glass and spoke. “Let's have a toast for all of my former students!” he said, “and for those that couldn't make it, or are no longer with us!” Mustachio operated the wheel chair controls with his left hand, while holding the champagne flute in his right.

“Good to see you again, teacher,” Kenichi said, offering his hand to the old man.

“You too!” Mustachio replied. “I'm so glad that Shib was able to get this reunion put together.”

“Yeah, he turned out to be quite the organizer,” Kenichi agreed, looking around. “Too bad there's someone missing.”

“Yes, I know.” Mustachio sighed.

Uran and Cobalt walked over. “Good to see you Uran!” Shib said. “I wish your other brother had come.”

“I'd hoped that Atlas would have been able to kick some sense into his thick skull,” Cobalt sighed. “That's why I asked you to invite him.”

“Yeah, well Atlas turned out alright after all,” Shib said. “Thanks to Astro, “ he added.

Tamao appeared from behind Shunsaku Ban's wheel chair. “Hello guys,” he said, “Remember me?”

Shib starred at the newcomer for a few seconds, “Who are you?” he asked.

“Come on, Shib, it's me, Tamao!” he replied.

“Oh yeah, I was only pulling your leg!” Shib laughed. “You look much better without those thick glasses!”



The room suddenly became quiet. The DJ turned down the volume on the canned music, and conversations all around the room died down. The two large doors at the entrance to the ball room opened. A small statued figure dressed in a blue and red suit slowly entered the room, his boots making a squeaking noise as he walked. Nervously he looked around the room at the occupants that towered over his head.

“I knew this wasn't going to be a good idea,” he sighed as he turned around towards the somewhat taller figure still standing in the doorway.

Suddenly, the room filled with the sound of clapping as many pairs of hands started to slap against each other. Gradually a chant began to fill the room, slowing growing louder from a Pianissimo, to a Crecendo, and finally a Fortissimo. “Astro! Astro! Astro!” came the cry from all around the room.

Astro turned around to face the crowd, his face now a bright beet red. Atlas entered the room and grabbed him, lifting his 125cm frame up in the air. The crowd of people moved in closer, and joined Atlas in carrying the newcomer around the room like a returning hero.

After the enthusiastic welcome had subsided, Astro found himself in a corner of the room, surrounded by the four people that had shared a clubhouse with him so many years ago.

“I'm so glad you could come, Astro!” Shib said, bending down to hug the boy robot.

“Me too,” Tamao said, “Why haven't you ever answered my emails and PM's?” he added.

“I'm sorry I lost contact with you, Astro,” Reno said. “But you never came by the Ministry after O'Shay passed away, and I've been too busy running the place to look for you,”

“Ya, know Astro,” Kenichi said, “I'm guilty too of loosing touch with the gang. I was traveling a lot during my short sports career, and then I got very busy trying to start a business. I did try to find you a few times, but well you know...”

“Yeah, well he ignored his brother and sister too,” Uran added. “If I hadn't ran into Mars who told me you were shacking up with Atlas, we'd still be looking for you!”

“Sorry guys,” Astro said, casting his gaze downwards while scuffing his boots across the floor. “I'm really glad I was forced into coming though,” he said punching Atlas on the shoulder. “I should have realized that true friends are forever, even if you guys have all grown up and I haven't.”

Reno gave up looking at his watch. He shrugged his shoulders and decided that the Ministry's work schedules would just have to slip. “Hey guys,” he blurt out, “Anybody want to slip out of here and binge out on pizza at my place?'

“Yeah!” Astro cried out enthusiastically. “I miss that!”

“Great!, Reno laughed. “Ya know I still have several years worth of Robot Chicken backed up in the cloud!”

Tamao and Shib cast glances at their wives who both smiled and gave them a thumb's up.

“See, I told you the Limo was a good idea,” Cobalt told Uran. “I knew we'd be leaving here with a full vehicle!”

[cybotron]

Penguin you are most impressive! Astro was always a little withdrawn after "Rainbow valley!" When he saw the face of mindless hatred and biggotry as it tried to destroy him without cause! Humans were willing to destroy rainbow valley with that reactor for hatreds sake! Because of anti robot biggotry! They were willing to kill that girl and all the countryside! And Astro is a 9yr old Gort! A 9yr yr old GORT!!!
:

[cybotron]

yes.... Astro is only 9yrs old and incapable of getting older. Your story is dripping with advanced psychology. you are impressive penguin. very.

[Little Brown Fox]

It's alright, I suppose. If aging is the problem, though, then I don't see why nobody else bothers to age him up in any way.

Also, there's a certain phrase in there that bothers me a little bit... you see, I do not think that it means what you seem to think it means... (or it has more than one meaning, and I'm being cynical... again...)

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

It's alright, I suppose. If aging is the problem, though, then I don't see why nobody else bothers to age him up in any way.

Also, there's a certain phrase in there that bothers me a little bit... you see, I do not think that it means what you seem to think it means... (or it has more than one meaning, and I'm being cynical... again...)

Do you mean compainion? Well if I had said partner maybe, but I'm old school here so I'm thinking the original meaning of the word.

[Little Brown Fox]

[QUOTE=Little Brown Fox;237547]It's alright, I suppose. If aging is the problem, though, then I don't see why nobody else bothers to age him up in any way.

Also, there's a certain phrase in there that bothers me a little bit... you see, I do not think that it means what you seem to think it means... (or it has more than one meaning, and I'm being cynical... again...)

Do you mean compainion? Well if I had said partner maybe, but I'm old school here so I'm thinking the original meaning of the word.[/QUOTE]

Um, no, actually. It's not companion; that's pretty much self-explanatory.

I said it was a phrase; that is a word. Specifically (and it makes me a little uncomfortable to do this), I was referring to "shacking up". "Crashing with" might have worked just a bit better, given the former's rather unfortunate implied meaning.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

Ah, maybe. I've heard the term used in the casual sense, but yeah it could be used the other way. I kinda think "crashing" implies short term, and I wanted to imply a longer stay with no actual relationship involved, other than just house mates.

[Rejoyce]

I didn't notice anything weird like that. Tetsuwan Penguin, you seriously write the best fanfics. I was wondering about this scenario myself, what happens when Astro's friends grow up? I really liked your take on it and it was just really enjoyable to read.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I didn't notice anything weird like that. Tetsuwan Penguin, you seriously write the best fanfics. I was wondering about this scenario myself, what happens when Astro's friends grow up? I really liked your take on it and it was just really enjoyable to read.

Thanks!

[Little Brown Fox]

I usually only hear it in a context that is highly inappropriate for this particular story. I know that's not what you meant by it; it was just a poor choice of words, I thought.