Unit online

César awoke promptly at six-thirty in the morning and immediately headed for the kitchenette in his pod. The compound's kitchen was better equipped, but the ingredients were pointedly much worse. Better to soil his own kitchen then to give his parents a stomachache.

\\ Objective: Mamí and Papí's anniversary breakfast \\

{ Cooking application is now running }

[Selecting recipe…]

_ Excitement and Anticipation programs are running in the background _

[Chilaquiles, Salazar variation selected]

[Initiating recipe subroutines]

César hummed to himself, a song his mother had taught him when he was learning how to hold Rex. He was about halfway through frying the tortillas when the hatch opened.

"César! What are you doing?"

Rex Salazar detected!

_ Happiness program is running alongside Cooking application _

_ Communication subroutines initializing _

"Good morning hermano!"

César put the tortillas to drain before frying some eggs, simultaneously checking to see if the tortillas were ready for the salsa. As soon as they were ready, he dropped them into the saucepan with the salsa and moved to prepare the other ingredients.

"What's the occasion? I've never seen you do this much for breakfast."

"It's Mamí and Papí's anniversary Rex, did you forget again?"

César continued to hum, muttering some of the words in between before going back to the chorus's tune.

_ Rex did not answer_

Checking communication output…

No anomalies detected

_ Repeat query? _ Yes No

"I don't have enough tortillas to make chilaquiles for us too, but I can make some tostadas if you want. You don't mind, right?"

César turned off the burner beneath the eggs, not wanting them to burn. So long as they stayed in the pan until he plated them, they would be perfect.

_ Rex did not answer _

Checking communication output….

No anomalies detected

_ Repeat query? _ Yes No

Recalibrating Communication subroutines…

César was distracted now, trying to figure out why Rex wasn't speaking and trying his best not to overcook the tortillas. There weren't any more, if he messed up then-

_ Tactile input detected! _

"César?"

César felt Rex's hand on his back and realized his brother needed his full attention. He quickly turned off the stove before turning to Rex. His little brother stared up at him with worry in his eyes; he looked like Papí did when a project seemed to be going wrong.

"César… Mom and Dad are… They're gone. They've… been gone for a while."

Processing data…

Running against current information…

Verifying…

_ Conclusion: Rex is correct _

\\ Objective cannot be fulfilled \\

_ Background programs have stopped running _

{Cooking application is shutting down}

"Oh," César said finally.

The older Salazar brushed past the younger without a word, leaving Rex stunned. He watched as his older brother moved out of the little kitchenette stiffly, his body moving as if on autopilot, intending to begin his work.

_ Operational requirement not met! _

_ System failure detected! _

"César!" Rex called out as his brother hit the floor.

Rex slowed his brother's descent, crouching to remain at eye-level with him. The ever-present thoughtfulness in César's eyes was gone, replaced by a glazed-over look that seemed numb. The younger Salazar watched in confused horror as César leant into him limply. César blinked unseeingly.

_ Reboot system? _ Yes No

"César?" Rex begged, growing more and more terrified by the second.

UNIT ERROR!

_ Unable to comply! _

_ Upgrade required. Initiate now? _ Yes No

Processing…

Acquiring files…

Installing…

Sorting…

_Upgrade complete! _

New program acquired

_ Run file? _ Yes No

Opening file…

_ Grief program is now running _

The younger brother watched as the elder sat catatonic, seconds away from calling Holiday. Just when he was about to reach for his comm, César finally moved. He was trembling. Rex wasn't sure what was happening until he glanced back at César's face. He was crying.

"They- They're really- I…" César muttered.

The elder Salazar broke into pitiful sobs and Rex hugged him, wishing not for the first time that he could miss them.

"I'm sorry César," Rex muttered, not sure if he was offering condolences or apologizing for his amnesia.

"I am so sorry."