Your Move

Generally, Dr. Cossack did not mind his robots wandering around the laboratory. They were smart enough not to touch anything expensive or dangerous, and kind enough not to get in his way while he worked. Being a single father with a young daughter, he believed very much in keeping an open household.

Still, he was understandably surprised when, as he lay on his bed reading a book, Skull Man walked into his bedroom and began rummaging through his closet without so much as a glance in the doctor's direction.

Cossack stared at his robot's back, book slowly descending to his chest, the corners of his mouth pulled down in bafflement. He grabbed his glasses from their resting place on his nightstand and placed them carefully back over his eyes, wondering if perhaps what he was seeing was a trick of his below average vision. "Skull Man?"

The robot turned and looked at him.

"Can you explain what you are doing in my closet?"

Skull Man's eyes showed no remorse toward, or perhaps it was simply no knowledge of, the fact that what he was doing was extremely rude. He merely raised his black hand, a small, white object standing out against the backdrop of dark fingers.

It was a pawn.

"Dust Man said this came from a box in your room." Skull Man turned back to his rummaging. "I'm trying to put it back."

"Skull Man."

Skull turned around.

Dr. Cossack pointed to a box on the floor. "The first one you pulled out."

Skull Man placed his pawn on the ground and picked up the box, staring at the blown up game of chess pasted on the front. "Oh." He held the box over his head, turning it this way and that, hearing the pieces clatter slightly inside. "What is this?"

His creator gave a small laugh. "It's my chess set." When this response elicited nothing but a black stare, the doctor frowned. "Do you know what chess is?"

"No." Skull looked back at the box now resting on his legs. "Should I?"

Dr. Cossack took a moment to think about this. Skull Man was a combat robot, sent to the front lines the moment of his completion. Time had been of the essence – and unfortunately, there had been none to spare on giving him any passive knowledge.

"I suppose not," the scientist finally relented. He closed his book softly, making a mental note of the page he was on, and placed it on his nightstand. "Would you like to learn how to play?"

Skull stared at the chess box through contemplatively narrowed eyes. "I don't know," he said. "What kind of game is it?"

"It's a strategy game," Dr. Cossack said, and Skull Man made a small noise of disapproval.

"Sounds boring," the robot said, placing the box back on the ground.

"Actually, I think you might enjoy it." Cossack sat up straight and crossed his legs. "The game requires a good balance of offense and defense."

Skull Man perked up upon hearing this. He looked down at the chess box, now seeming intrigued. "Well..." There was a moment's pause. Then Skull quickly picked up the box and stood, as though not allowing himself even a second longer of indecision, and walked up the the foot of Cossack's bed. "Can't be any harm, I guess."

It didn't take long to explain the rules of the game – Skull Man did not boast the quickest calculation speed, but he was by no means slow. After retrieving that lone pawn from before the yawning closet, Skull suggested that he and the doctor play a round of this game he had just learned.

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Dr. Cossack agreed. The chessboard was already mostly set up on the bed between them, and he began placing the rest of the pieces on their rightful squares. "Would you like to be blacks or whites?"

"Whites," Skull responded, green eyes following the doctor's hand as each of the remaining chessmen was added to the board. Every piece but the white pawn, which Skull Man added himself after all the others.

"All right then," Cossack said, putting his hands on his knees and sitting up straight. "I guess we're all set. Go ahead."

Skull Man leaned forward over his army of white wood, staring intently at the assortment of inert soldiers. So intently, in fact, that it was a wonder he didn't burn a hole right through the board. A long stretch of time passed with him in this position, and Dr. Cossack was just beginning to wonder if his robot had zoned out when Skull Man leaned back and spoke.

"I can't."

Dr. Cossack gave an encouraging smile. "Sure you can. Just move one of you pawns or knights."

Skull Man looked up and stared straight into the scientist's eyes. "No, Doctor, you don't understand. I. Can't."

Suddenly, Cossack did understand, and he nearly smacked himself for being so thoughtless. Skull physically could not move first. He was specifically programmed not to take any action before his opponent.

"That's okay," the doctor said, reaching for the chessboard. "We can just switch sides and-"

"Wait." Skull grabbed Cossack's hand before he had a chance to turn the board. "I still want to be whites."

Cossack frowned. "But you can't move first."

"Then you move first," his robot said.

The doctor looked down at his little black chess pieces. "That goes against the rules. White always moves first."

"Make an exception."

Dr. Cossack looked up at Skull Man, who let go of his hand and leaned away. The scientist then looked back down at the chessboard and stared blankly at his lifeless militia.

There was nothing wrong with it. It wasn't as though they were playing in any sort of official tournament. No, it was just a simple game at home between a scientist and his robot. No one was going to get on his case if he went first. He was doing something nice for Skull Man.

But...

It was against the rules.

It felt ethically wrong.

Cossack looked back up at his robot. Skull Man was staring at him expectantly.

Eyes dropping back to the board, Dr. Cossack raised one of his hands and held it hesitantly over the black and white battlefield. Several moments passed before, at last, he picked up a pawn and moved it forward two spaces.

This action seemed to make Skull Man very happy. He picked up his opposing pawn and moved it to match Cossack's.

The poor doctor held back a sigh. Sometimes, the things he did to please his family...