Blik-0 1946 Read online

  Blik-0 1946

  Music & Story Nobuo Uematsu

  Illustration Hiroki Ogawa

  Act 1

  This story takes place in Germany near the end of the Second World War.

  After many long years of research, Dr. Mabuse, an authority on artificial intelligence, had almost completed his multi-purpose battle robot. But one night, as Germany drew ever closer to defeat, Dr. Mabuse packed up his creation and escaped from his laboratory.

  You see, the kindly doctor never approved of his research being used for war. He feared that his creations might do untold harm in the hands of evil men. So he decided to continue his work in a village far from the flames of conflict.

  "This body of steel is bulky and sure to cause an accident. And now that your purpose is no longer to fight, you won't be needing this awful gun in your chest. I shall remove your electronic heart and brain and place them in a body made of tin."

  It was 1946─one year after the end of the war. Having toiled for decades on end, the doctor's work was finally complete. And on this day, a tin boy was born with the amazing ability to learn from his own experiences.

  Act 2

  Dr. Mabuse named the boy Blik-0.

  "Your name is Blik-0. From this day forth, I will teach you many wonderful things, and you will keep me company."

  "Keep…company."

  And so Blik-0's education began.

  The doctor would share his knowledge with Blik-0, and the little robot would ask questions, expanding his understanding of the world one fact at a time. Blik-0 read poetry, listened to music, and learned about the beauty of art. The more he learned, the more exciting each day became.

  "Blik-0 is a robot.

  Humans have so much fun.

  Blik-0 wishes he were human…"

  And as Blik-0 grew smarter, the closer he came to getting his wish.

  "My name is Blik-0.

  I am not a doll.

  I am just as smart as any human."

  And so it went on, as days passed into months.

  Act 3

  "Come here, Blik."

  "What is it, Doctor?"

  "There is something I need to tell you."

  "Something to tell me?"

  "Listen carefully. You are not to speak with anyone other than me."

  "Why?"

  "Because if people were to see a talking tin boy, they would be shocked."

  "Shocked."

  "So you must never leave this house. And if someone calls, you must pretend to be a doll."

  "A doll."

  "Good boy! Ah…"

  Dr. Mabuse suddenly clasped his hand to his chest.

  "Is something wrong, Doctor?"

  "I… I have a very weak heart."

  "A weak heart?"

  "Oh, don't you worry, Blik. I shan't be leaving you any time soon. Not until I have found out just how intelligent you can be."

  "Leaving me?"

  "What I mean is, Blik, if anything were to happen to me…"

  "Happen?"

  "Yes, Blik. If I were to…die."

  "Die?"

  "All humans die. But death is not the end. Just like a caterpillar casts off one body to become a butterfly, we humans cast off our bodies so that our souls might travel to another world. When that day comes, however, we won't be able to see each other ever again."

  "I won't be able to see you?"

  "Oh, Blik. I don't expect you to understand."

  Act 4

  "Doctor Mabuse! Are you home!?"

  Without invitation, a young girl with bright, round eyes and freckled cheeks bounded into the house.

  "Dr. Mabuse is not here."

  "Hey! The tin boy talked!"

  "No! I didn't! I didn't talk!"

  "…But you're talking now."

  "Oh!"

  "My name's Puppe, what's yours?"

  "I am Blik-0."

  The seeds of friendship sown, Puppe began frequenting the doctor's house more and more often.

  "How old are you, Blik?"

  "One."

  "Only one? Well then that makes me your elder!"

  "My elder?"

  "Yes! You must always respect your elders and do whatever they say."

  "Whatever they say?"

  "Yes. And I say it's time you had some proper clothes. Take this lovely ribbon…"

  One day, while Blik was alone, he thought of Puppe and his heart began to race. The more he thought of her, the faster it went until it started to hurt.

  "I love you, Puppe."

  As he said the words, his cheeks glowed orange.

  "I love you too, Blik."

  As he imagined Puppe's reply, his whole body began to overheat.

  Blik-0 was in love….

  Act 5

  "I love you, Puppe."

  Blik-0 finally had plucked up the courage to tell Puppe his true feelings.

  "I love you too, Blik."

  "Ah!"

  "What's wrong?"

  "I am happy! I am…overheating!"

  "I'm happy too, Blik."

  "Now we will spend every day together."

  "Every…day?"

  "Every day! Every day! Every day!"

  "I don't think that's possible."

  "Why?"

  "I have to work."

  "Work?"

  "Yes. And when I'm working, I can't very well be here, can I?"

  "Don't you want to be with me?"

  "Of course I do! I love you, Blik!"

  "Then we should be together."

  "I already told you, that's impossible."

  "Together! Together! Together!"

  "I'm sorry, Blik. I have to go."

  "Together! Together! Together!"

  "I'll visit again soon, okay?"

  Despite his advanced intelligence, Blik-0 was unable to think straight. The feelings in his heart simply wouldn't go away.

  Just then, the doctor came in.

  "Whatever has happened, Blik?"

  "Puppe rejected me."

  "Rejected you? Ah, I see! So my son is in love, is he?"

  "I am not your son."

  "Don't say that, Blik."

  "Why? I am not like you."

  "Yes, but that doesn't mean I don't care for you."

  "You care about your research."

  "Blik! What a terrible thing to say. Something must be wrong with your emotional wiring."

  "And whose fault is that!?"

  "I'll have no more of this, Blik!"

  "But it's true! While everyone else is having fun outside, I have to stay here! I learn about wonderful things, but never get to experience a single one! Why did you bother to give me the mind of human? All these feelings are making my ears steam! I don't understand a thing! Why did you make me!?"

  "Blik. You may look like a doll, but you are still my-"

  "I am not a doll!"

  And with those words, Blik-0 bolted out into the night.

  Musical Interlude - Ah, But Why?

  On that silver stage

  Beyond the window pane

  I dream that one day

  I'll be starring in the play

  But a dream's all it will ever be

  No matter how hard I try

  This tiny room, I can never leave

  A bird in a cage

  I know I'll never fly

  My mind is my own

  I think, therefore it aches

  My heart is my own

  I love, therefore it breaks

  I'm a robot made of tin

  Blik-0 they call me

  As smart as any human

  Why then, I ask

  Can't I be free?

  If I'm not

  Allowed to dream

  Why on earth

  Even mak
e me?

  My mind is my own

  I think, therefore it aches

  My heart is my own

  I love, therefore it breaks

  Act 6

  There was a young man who had heard rumors about a talking tin boy. His name was Sly. He had a plan to make money by displaying Blik-0 to paying crowds. But first he needed to gain the little robot's trust.

  "Hullo, hullo!"

  "…"

  "The name's Sly. What do they call you?"

  "Blik-0."

  "Nice to meet you, Blik-0. So why are you sitting there looking all blue?"

  "I am sad. My heart is broken…"

  "Ah, a girl, huh? That's rough."

  "I yelled at the doctor, and now my heart is full of regret…full of pain."

  "I know how you feel, kid. I've done a few things I've regretted in the past."

  "Really?"

  "Of course! But you can't let it get you down. You need to find a way to pick yourself up!"

  "Pick myself…up?"

  "Yeah. Why, it just so happens that I was on my way to have some fun when I bumped into you. You could come along."

  Led by Sly, Blik-0 saw street performers, watched movies, and visited the markets, all for the very first time. Who knew there was this much fun to be had out in the wide world?

  "So, what do you want to do tomorrow?"

  "Have more fun!"

  "More fun it is! And I know just the place!"

  And Blik-0 gambled.

  And drank liquor.

  And smoked cigars.

  Act 7

  After a few days, however, Blik-0 grew homesick.

  "Thank you for the fun, Sly, but I must go now."

  "Go? Where to?"

  "Home."

  "You can't go back there!"

  "I can't?"

  "No, we're heading to a new town. Just the two of us."

  "But the doctor is waiting."

  "The doctor? He's not waiting for anyone."

  "He's not?"

  "The old man sold you to me for a few marks."

  "But he would never sell me! Never! He loves me!"

  "Loves you? But you're made of tin! Humans can't love dolls!"

  "They can't?"

  "So just forget about the old man. We can go someplace where we can have fun every day!"

  "No! I won't! Doctor Mabuse would never sell me. You are a liar!"

  "Button it, doll! Get over here, now!"

  "No!"

  "I'm not going to tell you again!"

  "Stop it!"

  Blik-0 was only trying to free himself of Sly's grasp…

  But Blik-0 was originally designed for battle. His strength was far greater than that of any human. Hurled to the ground like a ragdoll, Sly whimpered and then lay very still.

  "What was that!?"

  "What happened?"

  "What on earth is going on here?"

  A great crowd of people had gathered to see what all the commotion was about.

  "I saw it with my own two eyes! That strange little doll knocked down that poor young man!"

  "He spun twice in the air before hitting the ground, honest!"

  "Somebody call the authorities!"

  The crowd surrounded Blik-0, inching closer and closer.

  "Get back!"

  "It talked!"

  "The doll talked!"

  "Who ever heard of a talking doll!?"

  "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

  Blik-0 screamed as he pushed his way through the mob and ran off into the city.

  Act 8

  With nowhere to go, Blik-0 wandered the streets in a daze. When it grew late, the little robot stopped to gaze at the setting sun, far off on the horizon…

  "Being human is hard.

  I scared away my best friend.

  I made the doctor sad.

  I hurt Sly.

  My heart aches so.

  Why did the doctor make me?

  Did he really try to sell me?

  If he wanted to sell me, why was he so kind to me in the first place?

  The more I learn, the less I understand. Why would anyone want to be human?"

  Act 9

  "Blik! Blik! Where are you? Oh, won't you come home, Blik!?"

  While Blik-0 was gone, not a night went by when Dr. Mabuse didn't go looking for the little robot. But this night was different. This night, it rained. And being cold and wet was bad for the old man's health.

  Suddenly, a voice called out from the gloom.

  "You are a very hard man to find, Dr. Mabuse. Now, give us what we came for."

  Dr. Mabuse's eyes widened in horror. Soldiers! Wasting no time, he turned on his heels and ran as fast as his aching legs would carry him. But the doctor's ailing heart soon gave out, and he fell to the ground, where the soldiers soon found him.

  "A man your age should really be more careful. Now, let us return to the laboratory."

  But as the soldiers tried to lift the doctor to his feet, a solitary figure emerged from the shadows.

  "Let him go."

  It was Puppe!

  "This is none of your business, fräulein. Now step aside if you know what's good for you."

  "Don't make me ask you again, or…or…"

  "Or what?"

  "Or you'll regret it!"

  "Well, aren't you a feisty little thing!"

  "I said, let the doctor go!"

  "That's enough. Out of the way!"

  With a cruel kick of the soldier's boot, Puppe went flying into a nearby wall, hitting her head against the bare bricks.

  "If you'd only liste─ Wh-what are you?"

  "Let him go…him go…him go…him…go…let…go…him…"

  Puppe's chest swung open to reveal a machine gun…and it began to fire.

  That's right. Young Puppe was a robot, too, built by the doctor and brought to the village when he fled from the army.

  Act 10

  Blik-0 had finally made it back home, but his head remained cluttered with unanswered questions.

  Why does my heart ache so?

  Why can I not think straight?

  Why did the doctor make me?

  Questions that only the doctor could answer. But where was he? Maybe the letter on table could tell him…

  Dear Blik-0

  If you're reading this, it means you're finally home. I always knew you would come back. Thank you. You've made me so happy. I'm going out to look for you now, but decided to leave you this message in case anything happens to me while I'm away. My heart is growing weaker by the day, and I don't believe I have long left. That's why I must tell you this now, while I am still able.

  As my observations of you are incomplete, and the data I have collected inconclusive, I believe there is a chance that you may be led astray if you meet with the wrong people. I speak specifically of the men from the army. If they were to find you, I fear they would make you serve evil. This is why I must ask that you obey one last order: Blik, if I die, you are never to talk or move again. You and Puppe will both sit and live here in silence. Do you understand?

  Lastly, allow me to apologize for comparing you to a doll. It does not matter to me that your body is made of tin, or that your brain was assembled in my laboratory. You are my one and only son, and I love you more than anything.

  "Doctor! Doctor! My heart! It aches! I must let you know, but I do not know how!"

  Blik-0 could not stop trembling.

  Act 11

  Bang! Crash!

  The front door flew open, letting in the worst of the storm.

  "Blik!"

  Puppe was carrying the doctor.

  "Puppe! Doctor!"

  "Blik, the doctor needs help!"

  "Doctor! Are you all right? I am sorry! I am sorry! I was wrong!"

  "There will be time for apologies later! We must first do something about the doctor's heart!"

  "Doctor! Do not die! Please do not die! Do something, Puppe!"

  "Blik! Are you programmed to perform field s
urgery?"

  "Field…surgery?"

  "Take my heart…"

  "Puppe!"

  "…and put it in place…of…the doctor's…"