Chapter 1

"**Walk This Way**" is the first chapter of Tsuyoshi Takaki's Heart Gear manga.

## Summary

After World War III had wiped out the humanity of the globe, there leave only a devastated land and ruins of civilization.

200 years later, a gear is seen examining the soil for compositional analysis. After a while, a girl walks towards the gear whose name is Zett, with a basket of her freshly picked apples. The girl tries to taste the apples but it seems that it is not that sweet since her expression changes the moment she eats it.

The little girl whose name is Roue decides to explore in the area to which is Zett reminds her not to go anywhere dangerous. While exploring, Roue finds an unfamiliar place that looks like a big facility. She enters the place and finds a huge machine. She then touches it and accidentally activating the machine. After the activation, the machine moves and asks Roue is she is the one who activated it.

The machine then introduces itself as a fifth-generation experimental gear with the designation, Chrome. It also tells that its base program has not been configured and all its functions are substantially restricted. The machine then commanded Roue to input a base program in order to lift all the restrictions. Not knowing what to do, Roue brings the machine to Zett.

Zett states that he never saw a gear in that state. Zett then explains that gears are made with some sort of goal in mind. The base program to which he defines is a sort of impulse or instinct to fulfill the goal at the highest priority. In his case, his purpose is for academic research and his bae program is to "observe and investigate". Zett states that the machine still has no soul and that a base program needs approval from a human.

Later that day, while Roue is sleeping, Zett and Chrome are outside. Zett looks at his telescope to look at the stars. Zett then proposes to Chrome to just live with them.

The next day, Roue is doing her laundry at a river with Chrome as the handler of the garments. While holding a piece of an undergarment, the wind blows it off. Chrome then holds Roue and lifts her up and explains that an error occurred which caused a temporary overflow in the system. Roue just laughs. Chrome then remembers what Zett told about Roue. Roue, Zett and Chrome also held a picnic.

The next day, Chrome is tilling the soil. While in the forest with Zett, Roue founds a dead deer. While heading back home, they encounter a suspicious gear and suddenly shoots Zett's arm. Zett then orders Roue to run while he buys time. Roue is running towards Chrome and was asked why is she alone. Roue then cryingly explains that an insane gear suddenly attacked. The suspicious gear found both of them and throws Zett's head in front of them. While Chrom is processing what it should do, the suspicious gear shoots its head and falls down.

A man came out from the gear and tells Roue that it will continue to protect her. Chrome then asks Roue if she acknowledges it. Roue gives her approval and Chromes manages to eliminate the other gear.

Chrome picks up Zett's head and pulls out its core unit, which contains Zett's main A.I. and all his personality and memory data. Chrome tells Roue that it looks undamaged and that if they could mount it in a compatible body, they may be able to restore Zett. But they need to search for a new body and an engineer. They then decide to leave in the morning. Chrome asks Roue if it is alright when will they come back to the place. Roue willingly responds "Yes." to Chrome.

## Character in Order of Appearance

* Zett
* Roue
* Chrome