Upgrades
A/N: I wrote this tickle fic as a birthday present for @feathers-and-giggles. She really liked it, so I decided to share it with you all. Hope you guys enjoy it!
“The Spine! Get back here!” Peter Walter VI called.
The Spine glanced behind his shoulder as he sprinted down the hall. Marshmallow was galloping after him with Peter on his back. They were rapidly approaching him.
Just as he was about to arrive at the Hall of Wires, Marshmallow dove in front of the only door in the Walter Manor.
“Glad I caught you,” Peter said dismounting Marshmallow. “It’s time for your biannual checkup.”
“That’s today? It completely slipped my processor,” Spine said sarcastically.
“It’s a good thing I reminded you then,” Peter said climbing back onto Marshmallow’s back. “Well come on now, get on.”
“I’d rather walk,” Spine grumbled.
“Suit yourself,” Peter said as the two began to make their way to the scientist’s workshop.
The Spine hated getting his checkup from Peter. He had nothing against him. Peter was an excellent engineer, it was just he often fixed things that weren’t broken. Spine liked upgrades as much as the next bot, but it was when they became unnecessary that Peter Walter became a nuisance.
“Alright Spine you know the drill,” Mr. Walter said as the two entered his lab. Spine begrudgingly sat atop the steel examining table and began to unbuttoned his vest. He folded the black dress shirt and vest and placed them next to him. Then he retracted his spines and laid down flat on his back. Peter reached for Spine’s core but before he could remove it, the automaton placed a hand on Peter’s.
“Could you please not change anything or “enhance” anything that’s not vital?” The Spine asked.
“Um, sure Spine,” Peter replied, puzzled.
The Spine closed his optics and allowed himself to shut down. Peter proceeded to replace the blue core from the automaton’s chest. Peter opened the upper part of Spine’s torso and began to check the bot’s inner circuitry. That was an odd thing of him to ask. Peter thought as he inspected The Spine’s internal wiring.
He examined Spine’s endoskeleton; nothing seemed to be dented or rusted. He sifted through the wires making sure nothing was loose or damaged; everything seemed to be in order. Finally, Peter began to review Spine’s control center.
Servo calibration: status green. What if I fine-tuned the calibration so—Peter instantly interrupted his own thoughts, remembering what Spine had told him. No everything is fine with Spine’s servos he doesn’t want them to be any more fine-tuned then they are.
Optical sensors: status green. If I rewire the sensors directly to his core then—no there is nothing wrong with his sensors, Petes. Just let them be.
Balance and equilibrium systems: status green. Maybe if I recalibrated the—No!
Peter continued to bicker with himself throughout Spine’s checkup. He’d go through each component of the silver bot’s working system see that it was running correctly, think of a way to enhance it, and stop himself before he would act upon his thought.
Peter was nearly done examining Spine’s control center.
Sense receptors: status blue.
All meters were below average.
I’m not upgrading anything unneeded, the sense of touch is very necessary, Peter Walter thought. He began to increase the sensitivity on each meter. Nothing drastic, just enough that Spine was able to at least have a sense of touch.
Once everything was set to the correct parameter Peter closed Spine’s chest plate and inserted the blue core back in the center of his chest. The Spine’s photoreceptors immediately flashed a bright green.
“Good morning,” Peter joked. “Now sit up. I need to check your blue matter levels.”
Spine complied to the engineers request and sat up straight. Peter ran his finger down the length of The Spine’s strips of blue matter, searching for the first latch that opened the metal plate concealing the bot’s power source. But before he could locate the latch Spine suddenly jerked away from Peter’s finger. Peter immediately pulled his hand back.
“You okay, Spine?” Peter asked suspiciously.
“Yeah,” Spine replied, confused. “You just startled me is all.”
Peter gazed upon the automaton quizzically but continued his work. He found the first latch and attempted to open it with his thumb, but Spine let out a small, surprised yelp and practically jumped off the examination table when Peter pressed into the metallic skin.
“Ok what’s going on, Spine?” Peter said becoming a bit exasperated.
“I don’t know. Whenever I feel your hand on my back this sensation pulses through me and I can’t seem to sit still,” Spine explained also beginning to become a bit exasperated.
Peter thought Spine’s explanation over for a moment, then came to a feasible conclusion. He had raised The Spine’s sensitivity levels too much and now the bot was ticklish. Peter couldn’t help but smile and hold back a chuckle at the silliness of this entire situation. The engineer was about to quell Spine’s confusion with the reason behind this sudden sensitivity, but then Peter thought Spine is so uptight all the time. He never wants to partake in Rabbit and Hatchworth’s shenanigans, maybe a little laughter might be good for him.
“Spine, just lie down on your front and try to hold still,” Peter said desperately hold back the mischievous air to his voice.
Spine laid himself down cautiously. He pursed his lips and shut his optics tight, bracing himself for Peter’s touch. Peter firmly pressed his hand down on Spine’s left shoulder to help prevent any further thrashing, then he began to unhook each latch running down the left strip of blue matter. Spine was barely able to hold his composure as he felt Peter press into each latch. His entire frame was tense as he squirmed about on the steel table. Giggles were slipping behind his clenched teeth. At one point, The Spine grabbed either side of the metal table to suppress his writhing.
Peter quickly began to work on the latches beside the strip of blue matter on the right side. Spine tensed up even further. He clamped his hands over his mouth, desperately attempting to squelch his titters.
“See that wasn’t so bad,” Peter said, beginning to remove the metal plate. He slipped it over The Spine’s spines. Peter was gazing upon the most precious inner-workings of the automaton. Two large tubes were attached to The Spine’s blue matter core in the center of his back. The luminescent substance ran through the tubes and branched out like arteries, delivering energy to each of Spine’s apparatuses. His spines where jutting out between the glowing cylinders. Peter carefully examined the blue matter coursing through Spine.
“Alright, no clotting or leaks,” Peter stated. “Now let’s check your spinal fin reflexes.”
The engineer placed his hand on the top spine. The Spine immediately tensed up.
“Retract the spine I’m touching,” Peter said. Spine relaxed a bit and allowed himself to fulfill the request. Peter did this with each of the automaton’s spines. Once Spine felt the small pressure of Peter’s hand on his spines he’d gently withdrew them. He placed his fingers on the smallest fin, but Spine couldn’t seem to get it to draw back into its niche. Peter wiggled his index finger into The Spine’s spine. The bot let out a loud yelp and jolted in his position on the examination table and the spinal quickly retracted.
“Quit ihihihit Peter!” Spine said through his giggles.
The engineer couldn’t help but let out a chuckle of amusement.
“It looks like the calibration of you bottom-left spine is off. I’m going to have to get in there and reset it,” Peter stated.
“What exactly are you going to do to reset it?” Spine asked unable to hide the dread in his voice.
“I just need to send a small electric shock into the calibration ports. Don’t worry. It won’t hurt,” Peter said, failing desperately at trying not to sound cheeky. Spine’s eyes widened with the utterance of these words. He was barely holding it together with Peter just lightly placing his hand on his spine. He wouldn’t be able to take electric shocks going through his back. The Spine could practically feel himself working up a sweat and he didn’t even have sweat glands; he was so nervous.
Peter grabbed the calibration pen from a tray full of tools next the examination table. He could sense The Spine’s distress and had to muster up all his will power to refrain from bursting out into laughter. He had never seen the automaton in such a state.
“Alright Spine, on three I’m going to place the pen in the first port,” Peter said, attempting to quell the bot’s nervousness a tad. Spine nodded, wordlessly. “One…two…three…”
Spine busted out laughing the moment the metal object touched his metallic skin. He covered his mouth trying desperately to suppress his giggles. It was no use though, the giggles were muffled but blatantly obvious from behind Spine’s servos. He began to squirm and twitch erratically.
“Spine stop squirming!” Peter exclaimed.
“I cahaha-I cahahahan’t help it!” Spine explained through his giggles.
“I can’t send the electric pulse if you’re squirming like that. Please try to hold still.”
Spine laced his fingers at the nape of his neck and shut his eyes tight.
“Alright. Just do it,” Spine said through clenched teeth.
At Spine’s request Peter quickly put the first the pen into the calibration port and released the pulse immediately. The Spine yelped helplessly and arched his back as he felt the small spark of electricity run through his sensors. The bot reacted similarly to each electrical pulse. Peter would push the pen into the port, then Spine would begin giggling and he’d prop himself on his elbows and tense up his shoulders to brace himself for what comes next. The engineer would send out the pulse and Spine would bark out a squeal. Thankfully there were four ports total so this agonizing experience for The Spine was over relatively quickly. The Spine hung his head in defeat as Peter covered the Spine’s back with the long metal plate. Spine tensed up as he locked it into place.
“See Spine it wasn’t that bad,” Peter said, placing his hand on Spine’s hunched shoulder. “Now try retracting that fin.”
Spine was able to draw the metallic fin into his back with ease.
“Great,” Peter said. He quickly spidered his fingers along The Spine’s largest spine. The bot quickly retracted that fin and erupted into giggles.
“Peheheheteheheher!” Spine whined.
“Sorry, couldn’t resisted,” he apologized. “I believe we are now done here Spineasours. Oh let me just dial down your sensitivity.”
“That um-that won’t be necessary, Peter,” Spine said clearing his throat unnecessarily.
Peter’s puzzled expression could not be hidden behind his keyhole mask.
“You want to keep your hypersensitivity?” Peter asked.
“Well I mean—” Spine was trying to muster up a good response, but her was drawing a blank. Truthfully this new sensation was exciting. The Spine had never felt something like this before. It was torturous, yet pleasurable all in the same instance. It caused him to laugh freely and carelessly. Peter had made the bot ticklish. The Spine had seen this kind of behavior among human. It always had fascinated him, but he never looked into it much because it saddened him that he could not participate in that type of activity. But now he was able to and this truly was the best upgrade he could have ever gotten. “It could be useful in the future,” was all he replied.
