Chapter 1 - The Whole New World
[Action - 458 Stone Street, Early Morning, Family-locked]
[Slowly, inch by inch, Dakki awakens. Which immediately strikes her as odd, as her thoughts spin up and engage. Mornings are usually a snap-bam-up-and-out-of-bed affair, not this sluggish, heavy-limbed...]
Hwaaaah....
[...was that a yawn? Oh, that felt weird. Her hardware wasn't prone ( Read more... )
[Slowly, inch by inch, Dakki awakens. Which immediately strikes her as odd, as her thoughts spin up and engage. Mornings are usually a snap-bam-up-and-out-of-bed affair, not this sluggish, heavy-limbed...]
Hwaaaah....
[...was that a yawn? Oh, that felt weird. Her hardware wasn't prone ( Read more... )
Comments 34
[But the grunt of annoyance certainly sounds like him. And the human waves a hand dismissively at Dakki, as his own brain goes through its boot sequence.]
Alicia, cut it out. I ain't gotta request today.
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The grunt was totally him.]
Gat...?
[But was it, really? Really? Dakki dodges the dismissing hand, and finally shimmies her way out from under the covers. Then she kneels there, peering over him, not sure what to make of what she's seeing.]
He's got brown hair....
Hey! You! Whoever you are! Quit goofing around!
[And with a mighty tug, she pulls all the blankets off the bed and tosses them aside.]
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[That's when he starts noticing how much things feel ... off. The feel of a heartbeat and blood coursing through his veins, the difference in how his bones and muscles react ... and most importantly of all, the complete lack of any of his usual parts.]
What in th' hell?
[That voice ... that wasn't Alicia. That sounded more like-]
-Dakki?
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[She's kneeling there beside him, hands on her hips, slightly bent over and looking disgruntled.
Also, blonde. She's looking very blonde today. She looked much more purple yesterday. Those features are definitely Dakki's, but the skin is unseamed, and her antennae are missing.]
You sound like Gat.
[She reaches out to poke him in the chest.]
But you're...!
[And then Dakki got a glimpse of her own arm, during the poking. She shuts up, stops everything, and gapes at it. Inspects it. Turning the wrist back and forth, staring at the fingers... poking it. General personal inspection.]
...dwuh?
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"Hi, Mommy! Hi, Daddy!"
"Golly! You sure took a while getting out of bed today!"
Uh ... Howdy, kids. [Crap. What's a parent-like thing to say? Gat attempts a grin.] Sleep well?
"Sure did, Dad!"
[Gat frowns slightly. Something about these kids seemed ... too vapid, too programmed. Like how a lot of Partner Machines tend to act.]
[... Boy does he miss Alicia.]
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I think they both turned at the same time.
...Er, so. What are you two going to do today, huh?
[Clues! They needed clues about how this place ought to work.]
"I'm going to go play baseball with Jimmy and Billy and everyone!"
"I'm going to go hang out at the malt shop today!"
I... see!
[She looks at Gat uncertainly. That didn't reveal squat. Let's try something different.]
That's really great, kids! Now, ah... humor your mom and dad for a second... what should we be doing today?
[The girl grinned vapidly at Gat.]
"You'd better get to work at the fire station, dad! They don't like it when you're late!"
[The younger boy laughed, although the laughter never made it to his eyes.]
"You can make us cookies, mom!"
Cookies.
"But first, you've got to make us our breakfast!"
[She brought a hand to her forehead, closed her eyes, and sighed. This ( ... )
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I work at a fire station-?
[That can't be right. He's a Guardian, a security company employee, a-well, corporate mercenary. Fighting fires as a full-time job ... Is that what this simulation (or whatever it is) wants him to do?]
[As the kids answer Dakki's half of the question, he looks around the room. Almost nothing here resembled the architectural or cultural flavor of Parum, Moatoob, or Neudaiz. It still had that "tinge" of human-ness, but it was of a kind that never once stopped feeling alien. Not one single photonic device to be seen. Nothing glowing passively with the telltale presence of Photon Reactors. Even electronic devices seem scarce-that sort of looked like a television, over there in the living room partition ...]
Uh-if ya'll don't mind humorin' your father a lil' more here, what's th' best way to get to th' fire station by walkin'?
"Oh, Dad, you're so silly!" [The drone daughter giggles, but no real personality seems to be behind that giggle. Nevertheless, she does humor Gat and ( ... )
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[She looked to Gat with surprise. Not completely unsuitable for him and certainly something they've both had a bit of experience with, but not what the resume ought to indicate.]
If this is a simulation, maybe we've been... inserted into a pre-designed community? Hm! Oh, kids, let's keep playing this game... what job does your mom have?
[This was exciting! She was all eagerly leaned forward, anxious to know what kind of role had been selected for her.]
"Moooom, that's silly!"[The drone son was no less helpful, giving another hollow giggle.] "Moms don't go to work! Who'd take care of us?"
[Dakki's face fell.]
I don't like where we've ended up, Gat.
[Then she huffs, already building up some offense and irritation.]
Taking a walk to work, you mean? I don't know, you think I'm allowed to leave the house? [She snorts.] Well, who cares if I'm allowed or not.... daughter?
[She gets the girl's attention, and puts on the sweetest voice that she has.]You're old enough to help around the house! Would you be so kind ( ... )
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