Chapter one: Awakening
0012 hours
Days since reboot: 00
"哀痛!" The girl said, a smile lighting up her porcelain features.
"Wait, hold up. Let me change her language to English, okay?"
The girl didn't understand what he was saying, but she smiled nonetheless. That's what she was supposed to do- smile. People liked it when you smiled. The man beside her opened her ear port, touched the buttons inside. He balanced a phone in his ear, and the girl noticed he had a nice smile. Would he be the special someone just for her?
"Ah, here we go. Okay, what's your name?" He asked.
"Aitsū!" She repeated, now in English. Her ear port closed, and he smiled back at her. He spoke into his phone again.
"What's she look like? Oh, well…" He looked at her up and down, and the girl tilted her head, not quite understanding.
"She's maybe 5'6, so pretty tall for a persecom. Her skin is the color of caramel, brown and smooth. Her hair is long and dark brown, the tips fade to a honey gold. It's really curly- they designed her to look exotic. Her eyes are a jade green, large, tilted up. She has a delicate, button nose. Her cheekbones are sculpted and prominent. She has the build of a 17 year old girl. What else… Her body? Triangle type. Small up top, larger below."
The man motioned for her to come forward, and she stepped out of the glass case. She found that if she pressed her hands on the glass, it left marks that quickly faded.
"Hey, what does your name mean?" The man asked, and it took the girl a moment to register he was speaking to her. The software in her head whirled to life, and she blinked beneath the flow of new information.
"Aitsū has multiple meanings, and it is of Japanese origins. It translates roughly to sadness. More commonly used as Sorrow."
"Her name is Sorrow. Should I schedule you for pickup?"
Aitsū brushed her hair like she was told, staring in the mirror. It was true what the man had said, about her appearance. Her eyes were large and green, her cheekbones sculpted and prominent. What he failed to say was that there were flaws in her features- which wasn't supposed to exist. Persecoms were meant to be perfect, after all, and Aitsū had blemishes. Yes, her skin was smooth, but it wasn't pale and pure, like the other Persecoms in the cases, the model ones. She didn't look Japanese. Not only this, but along her wrists were a scattering of scars, which she had no recollection of. Aitsū didn't remember anything since her last start-up. Now, they could remake her, and give her new skin, so she could be as pure as a newborn, but that cost money- money the store did not have. She was being bought used, and cheap. At the thought of the word used, there was an ache in her chest, which made her breath seize. She had the vague feeling she had felt this before, but had no memories to compound on.
She put the brush down on the sink, and smoothed her dress. It was a pretty little thing, with white, soft material and lots of frills. Her legs were covered in stockings to cover the scars there.
The door jingled, signaling the arrival of a customer. Aitsū walked out of the bathroom, peeking out from behind a corner. A pretty, Japanese Persecom greeted the person at the door, before pointing him to the direction of the only living person in the entire store. They spoke for a moment, before the owner walked over to Aitsū.
"Are you ready to go home?" He asked, and she nodded. He took her hand, leading her to the man.
He was tall, of Korean origin. He seemed to be in his mid-thirties, and his face was marred with wrinkles from frowning too much. He eyed her warily, brown trench coat dripping water on the floor.
"They look like tears." She said aloud, and he gave her a quick look over.
"You didn't tell me she had these scars on her arms." He said gruffly, shaking his head.
"I didn't think it mattered. She's pretty and useful, not dysfunctional in any way. She's perfect."
"I don't think so. My daughter is in a frail state right now, and I don't think-"
The door rung again, and a girl walked inside, dripping wet. She had short black hair, cut in a bob, ending at her jawline. Her skin was pale and flawless, her eyes brown and welcoming. Her lips were pink and full, and she had her father's seriousness etched into her face. She couldn't have been more than 16. She wore yellow rain boots, blue skinny jeans, and a yellow, oversized sweater. She was quite small, barely reaching 5 feet.
"Is this the pretty Persecom you're buying me? You do owe me one, after all, you broke the last one." Her voice was clipped and quiet, barely above a whisper.
"I did not break it. I just… wanted it to update it with the latest gadgets for you, and ended up giving it a virus." There was a hint of an apology in his voice, a wavering in the tone.
"Well, I liked her. And now she's dead."
"Actually," The store owner piped up. "Persecoms aren't actually alive- it's a common misconception. They are just super computers, shaped like humans. So, will you be buying?"
Aitsu looked on with intense interest, trying to gauge the relationship between the two. She had his features, she must be the daughter, but they seemed to have a rocky lifestyle. The father hesitated, but then reached into his pocket, albeit a little reluctantly. He pulled out his wallet.
"How much is it?" He asked gruffly.
"It'll be 50,000 dollars in American currency. If you were to buy her with a warranty, it'll be another 20,000."
The girl smiled, illuminating her face with happiness.
"Better buy the warranty, father." She said, a smirk pulling at her rose-petal lips.
Aitsū sat in the back of the truck, rocking in the seat quietly. Rain smashed against the windows, shaking the frame of the vehicle, but the people weren't alarmed. They sat in the front seat, talking quickly and quietly. Aitsu watched the girl, watched her slender fingers tap against the dashboard, the frantic dances they performed without a partner. The man, on the other hand, sat quite still- only moving when he had too, coaxing the car to one side of the road to the other. He gazed unflinchingly at the road.
"Aitsū, play a song." She said suddenly, turning around to stare at her with brown eyes.
Aitsū blinked, golden eyes lighting up briefly. Her owner commanded, she would do. She was, only a Persecom, after all.
"Samantha, put your seatbelt on." The man said tiredly, rubbing his face with his hand. She ignored him.
"What genre?" The Persecom asked, gauging her reaction.
"Whatever you like."
Like? What did she like? Aitsū had just been restarted, and didn't have a personality yet. They hadn't even updated her with personality software.
Cavetown: This is Home
A memory clicked in her head- a song. The notes stirred around her head with rising volume, and she opened her mouth to sing the words. She felt no shame- it wasn't her voice, after all- it was the singer's.
The girl watched Aitsū with intense interest.
"You look sad. Why do you look sad? I haven't programmed you with any software, and you only come with a learning, translating and dictionary program."
"Perhaps it is a glitch." She said a little reluctantly, not wishing to admit she was dysfunctional. Her eyes fluttered closed, wishing to conceal the imperfections within.
There was a flurry of movement, and Aitsū opened her eyes. Samantha was leaning down in her seat, rifling through the cluttered mess in the front. Finally, she spun around, unbuckled her seat belt, and hopped in the back seat.
"Dammit Sam!" The man cursed, spinning the wheel furiously. The car's wheels spun on the wet roads with a squeal, and finally, the truck regained composure, driving along slowly. Sam seemed unfazed, and lifted her arms.
In them was a sleeping girl. Well, girl wasn't the right word. She was incredibly small, no longer than Aitsu's forearm, barely a foot tall. She had short blue hair, the left side shaved, the right left long and wild. She had pale features, no scars nor blemishes. Her eyes were a brilliant blue, and she wore a kimono, regarding the persecom with a frown.
"This is Uteki, which means raindrop. She's a persecom like you, but laptop sized. Don't mind her angry disposition: that's just her way."
Uteki crossed her arms and tilted her head, before leaping forward and landing on Aitsu's arm, clinging to her clothing.
"I will be performing a system checkup now. Please open your ear port."
"I'd rather not…" She mumbled, looking down in her lap, away from those eyes. Tiny hands grabbed onto her face, directing her gaze to the girls.
"It wasn't a question. I am in charge here, I am number one. Open ear port." She said sternly, sticking out her lower lip. Aitsu didn't want them to know she had a glitch, an imperfection- it would be back on the display she'd go. So she shook her head more forcefully, finding her voice.
"Nope."
Samantha looked on with a smile, finding the scene amusing. However, Uteki was less so. She seemed to radiate disapproval and she grabbed the girl by her shoulders, shaking her violently.
"I'll have to use force then. Hi-yah!" The girl cried, raising her arm in a karate chop and hitting the girl as hard as she could on the collar bone. However, it only resulted in a tap- she wasn't very strong. Then, she spun around and landed a punch to her chin. Samantha giggled.
"She's not very bright. But I adore her. Isn't she adorable?"
Uteki stomped her foot.
"I am not adorable. I am a fierce tiger! I am the bane of persecom! I am Uteki, the whirling raindrop of a typhoon! Fear me!" She cried, pointing a finger at Samantha. She then turned to Aitsū.
"Now, open your ear port, before I hurt you."
