A short story by Sakyo Komatsu. Set in a future where robots live just like humans. The protagonist robot suddenly falls into malfunction and goes to a robot hospital for a checkup. According to the doctor robot's diagnosis, the protagonist's condition is, "if I had to say, like the 'appendix'," and a surgical removal is performed immediately. The mysterious object called the "appendix" extracted from the protagonist's body is a visceral, unsettling piece of organic matter, unlike anything a robot should be. Protagonist robot: "What on earth is this?" Doctor robot: "According to ancient lore, this is seemingly the 'creator' of us robots." According to the doctor robot, the "appendix" was once a superior existence to robots, and robots were merely auxiliary beings to the "appendix." However, eventually, the robots' abilities surpassed the "appendix," reversing their positions. Even so, the robot race does not abandon the "appendix," their creator; they store the "appendix" inside their bodies, nurture it, and take care of it. And when the "appendix" dies inside a robot's body, it causes the robot to malfunction, just like the protagonist. Protagonist robot: "How does this 'appendix' serve us robots?" Doctor robot: "Well, it doesn't serve any purpose at all; it's just dead weight." The protagonist robot and the doctor robot shared a laugh.
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