Another  Slushy inspired story, though the difference between story and pic is rather larger this time around.

Recharge
By Chaos Blackwing

“... are you sure this is a bed?” the confusion was evident as the speaker ran a hand over the strange device, eyes wandering over it’s odd oval shape and the interior ‘padding’ that had all the appearance of gel.

“Oh it’s not just a bed, it’s the best bed you’ll ever sleep in. Designed to adapt to the sleeper to provide the most relaxing rest possible, a bed like this is usually only found in the homes of the rich and powerful.” Had Jeremy been more experienced he might have realized that the explanation from the grinning biodroid wasn’t quite accurate. If he hadn’t been so tired, worn out from a hectic day where it seemed nothing could go right he might have been more hesitant, but as it was he was just too exhausted to question his apparent good fortune in finding somewhere to sleep, no matter who was offering it.

Yawning widely he turned back to the smiling fellow who he’d encountered only a little while before. “And you’re sure I can use it? Don’t want to kick someone out of their bed just so I can get some sleep, good bed or not.”

Fixing a wry grin on their face, the biodroid shook their head in mock sadness. “Unfortunately while it provides an excellent rest for organics the pod isn’t well calibrated for robots such as myself, the designers focusing on more... malleable races when they created it. The only reason I have it is thanks to an ‘All or nothing’ sale a few months back by a scavenger who didn’t know what they had, and it’s been sitting here gathering dust ever since.”

Nodding even as he yawned again, Jeremy smiled through tired eyes. “Still, mighty kind of you to help me like this. Between offering a meal when my credit chip was stolen and now a place to sleep, after the disaster at the terminal that left me stranded while everything is sorted out a friendly stranger was the last thing I expected.”

This time the smile on the synthetic face was more genuine, paired with a pat on the shoulders of the tired human. “It’s the least I could do. You seem a decent enough sort, and it’s not your fault that you’re stuck here for a while. Not enough good people around to ignore it when one of them is in need of assistance.”

Leaning against the pod Jeremy yawned again. “So, how exactly does this thing work? Just hop in or something?”

An almost apologetic look graced the ‘droid’s face. “After you remove most of your clothing, yes. The pod works best when it has direct contact with the body of the occupant, though you can leave any shorts or underthings on.”

Jeremy’s eyes widened at hearing that he’d have to strip to get in the pod, blushing quite a bit at the thought of doing so in front of what was almost a complete stranger before his exhaustion caught up to him and took priority. If that’s what it took...

Setting his pack down the young man removed first shirt, then shoes and pants, leaving him in only a pair of boxers, goosebumps sprouting across his bare skin as it was exposed to the air directly. To his(?) credit beyond a cursory glance over his almost naked form his companion seemed completely indifferent, acting no different now than they had before, though being a ‘droid Jeremy supposed clothing was more for decoration than modesty, meaning it’s presence or absence wasn’t nearly as important.

Walking past the slightly shivering human the ‘droid pushed one of the buttons on the side of the pod, causing the dim standby lights within the device to light up as the cover lifted, leaving the pod ready for it’s occupant.

“Don’t worry about your possessions, they’ll be safe enough here while you rest, and when you wake again we’ll see about setting up a place for you to stay while the administration goes through your paperwork and everything is sorted out. You should only be stuck her for a few days.”

Climbing in the pod the human’s speech was more than a little slurred as their long day began to really catch up to them, but even so their response caused a spike of excitement in the watching ‘droid. “Not like I have much to look forward to when they do, just another lovely trip in the cheap seats to a menial job on another station doing grunt work. Not much work available for someone like me with no special skills or training these days.”

Leaning over to close the lid on the pod the ‘droid grinned as he looked down. “Well in that case we might have something else to talk about when next you wake.” As the human was about to respond he placed a slim finger against his lips. “Ah, no, no questions, sleep first and then we’ll talk. It can wait until then.” Closing the lid the device beeped softly before fully activating, and soon the human inside was deep asleep, enjoying the sleep that was as luxurious as promised.

**

Gazing down at the active pod Gazik could barely contain his anticipation. The story he’d told the human of how he’d come into possession of it was true, and while it was guaranteed to provide an excellent and refreshing sleep to any organic within it that was not it’s primary purpose.

Put simply the pod was a feeding/recharging station for robots and those like them.

Though it was generally known that robots required outside energy to keep themselves running, electricity rather than food, what wasn’t so well known was that different sources provided different ‘tastes’. Electricity from a high quality plasma generator might provide a clean and ‘smooth’ taste to the robot consuming it, while energy from a more broken down gasoline generator might have a more rough and unpleasant ‘taste’. The best energy however came from organics, with the different races providing different ‘flavors’, all of them enjoyable in their own ways.

Unfortunately for robots everywhere however gathering energy from organics for consumption was long considered an impractical undertaking, often using more energy than was collected. This all changed several cycles back when a robotic researcher stumbled upon a method whereby they could ‘flavor’ otherwise bland energy with energy provided by an organic donor, allowing a notable amount to be used without detrimental impact to the organic in question. It wasn’t a perfect system, as it could only be used for short periods of time at once, but at last robots could enjoy something more than the same old energy they’d always been limited to.

With the discovery made it was only a matter of time until the first ‘pods’ were created incorporating the idea, gradually being fine tuned over the cycles to be as enticing to as wide a range of organics as possible in the hopes that they’d be willing to use them. Unfortunately no matter how luxurious the pods were they still had a notable flaw in that while the process was restful it left the donor slightly weak for a day or so afterwards(one donor likened the experience to giving blood), meaning that it could be difficult to find those willing and able to use it on a regular basis, despite the fact that donors were inevitably rewarded quite well in return for their service.

If the owner of a pod found someone without any other notable prospects though...

Even as he unhooked one of the connections from the side of the pod and prepared to attach it to the recharge port in his chest Gazik promised himself that he would come clean to the human the next day, explaining the full purpose of the pod in the hopes that the human would be understanding and willing to listen.

As the first trickles of energy came through Gazik’s eyes lit up even brighter than before as he shuddered in pleasure. This energy... oh the human simply must accept his offer to stay! While he wasn’t overly well off himself, subsiding only on his small scrap shop he knew several other robots in this section of the station who he was sure would be willing to help him set up the human in pleasant accommodations, wanting for nothing while he stayed. For the chance to have a willing donor stay and offer services on a regular basis they’d be mad to pass up the opportunity, and would be just as eager as he was to persuade the human to stay.

Settling in against the side of the pod Gazik basked in the energy from the pod even as he began to craft his arguments for the next day, both for the human and the others. It would be a busy night, if a most enjoyable one, and if things went well it would only be the first of many.