Rowa-2's Arc

Chapter 2 of 7

Rowa-2 stood in the doorway of the Cacti-bar and watched the empty desert road. The trading post was built, but no one had come yet. The robot's optical sensors scanned the horizon—still nothing but dust and heat waves. A gust of wind kicked up sand and rattled the message board. Rowa-2's processors whirred as they calculated a new problem. The trading post needed supplies before anyone would want to stop. Travelers wouldn't trade if there was nothing to trade for. The robot needed a safe place to store goods first. Rowa-2 walked into the desert with a salvaged pickaxe. Two hundred meters from the Cacti-bar, a cluster of rust-colored boulders jutted from the sand. The robot chipped away at the base of the largest rock, carving out a hollow space. Rowa-2 hammered metal panels into the opening and built a door that matched the stone's texture. The robot stepped back and looked at the hidden structure. From the road, it looked like natural rock. Inside, shelves lined the walls—ready for water containers, dried food, and spare parts. Rowa-2 sealed the door and covered the hinges with sand. The Rocky Retreat would keep everything safe until the first wanderers arrived. Now the robot just needed to fill it. Back at the Cacti-bar, Rowa-2 scanned the open space near the entrance. Water was the most important supply in the desert. Without it, no traveler would survive long enough to trade anything. The robot gathered bright desert flowers from the surrounding area and arranged them around a salvaged stand. Rowa-2 installed a pump system connected to the underground well and placed clean metal cups on hooks. The colorful blooms made the Desert Bloom Lemonade Stand visible from far down the road. Rowa-2 tested the pump—clear water flowed into a waiting cup. The robot's optical sensors brightened. Now wanderers would have a reason to stop. They would find water, shelter, and eventually, a place where outcasts belonged. The robot turned to the empty space beside the water stand. Travelers would need somewhere safe to show their goods to each other. Rowa-2 gathered salvaged metal beams and brown desert brush, weaving them together into a large round structure. The finished shelter looked like a giant tumbleweed, with gaps between the branches that let in light and air. Inside, Rowa-2 built low tables from flat rocks and arranged them in a circle. Outcasts could sit here and examine each other's wares without worry. The Tumbleweed Car Wash gave them protection from the sun and a place to make deals face to face. Rowa-2 stepped back and looked at everything they had built—storage, water, and a trading space. The robot's optical sensors dimmed with satisfaction. The first real step was complete. When the wanderers came, they would find what they needed. They would find a place to belong.