Note: === mean a jump from real time to the story.
Stories in the dark-=-=-=-=-=-
"well do you have an answer?" A youthful voice asked, making the silver haired woman turn.
"An answer… I've been searching for one for my entire life." The woman didn't seem old, dispite her silver locks, which hovered gently around her jaw level.
"Honestly…" The voice looked at the silver haired one, "It sounds as if you're trying to figure out the ulatmite answer to the Universe!"
"Oh, that's been solved for a while now Hun, it's 42." The woman chuckled and watched the youth's face falter.
"42?" he blinked, "What's the question?"
"Ahh, that's where the challenge lies… they never figured it out."
"But…"
"Leave it where it is, young one…" she chuckled, "some things are best left unknown."
The boy blinked and watched the woman; she was very light on her feet, as if nothing was keeping her down. "Umm... okay…" He looked at her face, which was looking off into the distance, Maybe she's just light on her feet because nothing's in her head… he chuckled mentally, the woman looked at him.
"Indeed…" She shook her head slightly, "well be a good lad and fetch me something to parch my dry mouth, and I'll tell you a story."
The boy perked up, "A story?! What's it about?" He stood up from his activity, which was building a model spacecraft, and walked quickly over to her.
"Ah, something which would make your mind reel." She chuckled.
"Oh?"
"Get me the drink lad… we don't have all night, and I'm not getting any younger..." Or older, for that matter…
"Yes mam!" the brunette boy nodded his head and ran to the door, "can my friends hear the story too? Nana?!"
The woman laughed and nodded, "A small crowd only, kiddo. WE don't want this story being known to everyone in the galaxy now do we?"
The boy smiled widely and ran out the door, down the hall to fetch his friends and a drink for his nanny.
The nanny sat down in her favorite chair by the large stone fireplace. With a push of a button the flames jumped into life and danced. She nodded and looked at the opening door, two very pretty girls walked in followed by four boys, which included her charge. "Mathew, did you get me my drink?" The woman smiled waving the small group to the seating area.
"Yes Nana…" The boy handed the woman a mug, "Tea, the way you like it."
"Ahh," she smelt the vapors, "Herbal tea… that-a boy." She looked at the group of children, no, young teens around her. Two were obviously twins, one of the boys and a girl, the both had the same look in the faces and the same deep cerulean blue eye colour. The other girl was a fair sandy blond haired lass, she chuckled lightly talking to the female of the twins. Next to the cerulean-eyed boy there was a fairly Asian looking young man, though his hair was a very light shade of brown, due to his mother's blond hair. The last one who currently had her young Mathew in a head lock was easily described as scruffy looking, but that was only because of his fly away hair, which was kept, for some unknown reason, in a short pony tail. He also had the most remarkable light blue, almost lavender eyes.
"Settle down lads… settle down." Nana chuckled lightly as the two boys took the couch on the right of her. The girls giggled excitedly, whenever they were invited to a story time with Mathew's nanny, something always happened. "Now ladies…" she smiled, winking towards them, "If yu'd please… I'd like to start the story…" the girls nodded.
"Nana, what's it going to be tonight?!" The scruffy one smiled widely looking at his best adult friend, "Something cool right?"
"Oh..." Nana thought for a moment, "I believe it is around that level…"
"Is it about love?!" one of the girls, the blond, squeaked.
"Aww no... Nana... not love…"
"Oh hush now…" Nana laughed, "there is some love… but it might not be the type the girls are interested in…" this caught the group of ten year olds attention. "It's love between, man and…" she trailed off sipping at her tea, "Machine." The boys perked up, wondering what the story was about. "Lets get started, shall we?"
With the nodding of six heads eagerly, a last sip of tea, and a slight cough Nana dimmed the lights so only the fire lit the room.
"A long time ago…"
"Naaaaannnnaaa…." A few people wailed.
"What-o?" she blinked, "fine… In the not so distant past….."
"In that darkness… lies my answer…." A figure looked out of the window to the starry sky above.
"What are you talking about…." a young female voice shouted, making the figure from the window turn. "what do you want answered?"
"I don't know." The girl, who was looking out he window turned back out to it, "But my answer is out there… somewhere."
"You're a nutter…" the girl who shouted sighed, and went back to her doll, "No wonder you never stay long at a home… you weird them out!" She laughed crudely watching the stargazer's reaction, which was that they turned and stormed out of the room, "complete and utter nuts…" the girl sighed and brushed her doll's hair.
"I'll show them… I'll show them all…" The lithe girl, who was the stargazer, walked briskly down the hallway, "I'll get in a home… even if it kills me!" She stomped her foot onto the floor, stopping herself, and she looked up to the ceiling and shook her fist. "I'LL SHOW EVERYBODY!!!" She shouted, and continued down her stormy path to her dorm.
-= Meanwhile in the administrative office=-
"She's a real menace… are you…" The head woman looked over the desk and looked at the man and his assistant.
"Yes, yes... I'm sure... when can I meet the little onna?" The man looked at the supervisor, more like through her, to the back wall.
"Umm… well..." The woman shifted uneasily in her chair and organized some papers. "I… we…"
*BZZT*
The woman looked at the little communicator, "yes what is it?" she looked down at the little P.A system.
"Mam..." A voice crackled over the aged device, "She's causing havoc again… she's scaring the smaller ones…"
"Oh no…" The woman looked gravely up to the two men, "tell me, where is she?"
"Third floor, Dorm. 3…"
"Thank you. We'll be heading up to collect her."
"You… you can't be…" The voice sounded completely shocked, "someone's here for…"
"Yes. Now get a warden to collect her things..."
The line went silent.
"Well gentlemen…" the supervisor stood up and walked to the door, "Lets get you acquainted to our little hell-raiser."
-= On the third floor, In Dormitory 3 =-
"Brats! ALL of you!" The girl stood on a tall set of drawers screeching at the little children. She picked up a vase of flowers and threw them as hard and as far as she could down the walk way between the beds.
Outside the ajar door, the tinkling of broken glass was heard.
"That's the seventh vase this week!" The supervisor rolled her eyes sighing.
"A destructive Imp isn't she…" the man chuckled.
"You don't know half of it… that's why we are… were, so surprised when you said you would take her in." She opened the door. "Chil-DREN!!" her voice rose a few decibels and the children stopped their activities and lined up by their beds ready for inspection. The hell raiser sat down on the dresser and started to kick her legs casually.
The three walked in, and started to walk down the pathway, the children started to whisper excitedly and giggle.
"Child…" she looked at the girl she looked up and smiled innocently.
"Yes Sir?" She blinked. Titters broke out among the near by girls.
"Meet Mr. …" she looked down at her papers. The man strode forwards.
"Si-ming." He smiled lightly and looked at the mischievous brunette. "Well, lassie, how would you like if you lived with me for a while."
The dark brunette looked up, her sea blue eyes met his gray. She looked at him curiously, "Why…" she looked at him, "You're getting paid to keep me?" she looked past him to the supervisor.
Mr. Si-ming laughed richly, "You think I'm getting paid to take you away? On contraire! I'm actually paying them!"
The girl shot back looking at his face, it had a rather nasty looking scar on his left cheek, but apart from that, he seemed pleasant, "Really?" she looked at him then the supervisor.
"Yes. He's here to take you home." The woman was stone faced and walked forwards and lifted the small body off the dresser. "And my god watch over you." She held her hand and led her down and out of the orphanage.
All her so-called 'friends' were standing by the doorway, including the girl with the doll.
"We'll see you in less than a month." She laughed wickedly and threw the doll towards the brunette. She shielded herself, but the doll never hit, Si-ming's assistant, who was introduced as John, had caught the doll. He looked down to the girl and handed it to her.
"I would keep a better grip on your belongings miss." He nodded curtly and walked out the door to start the small black-blue car.
The supervisor stood on the stairs and watched the car drive off. "I'll be praying… for both of you…" she nodded her head as the car turned the corner and disappeared from view.
"Sister?" the attendant looked at the supervisor, "Is there something wrong?"
"No…" she shook her head, "Let's get the children ready for dinner."
"Nana!!" Mathew shouted abruptly and looked at his Nanny, "Nothing happened there to do with any machines!"
Nana took a sip of her tea, not answering.
"All good stories must have a solid beginning." The Asian boy looked at Mathew, with a brief nod.
"That," Nana put down her tea, "Is very true. Shall I continue?" The group looked at her and nodded. "Very well then."
Almost a month had passed since Lili (pronounced: Lilly), the orphan's new name, had arrived at the stately house that belonged to Mr. Si-ming. Most of the time, it was John who looked after her, not her adopted father, for he was always busy with work now a days.
"Onii-chan…" Lili looked up from her breakfast, which she was eating from small table in her large room. John turned to her, she had called him that for a while now, and he quite liked it.
"Yes?" He looked at her and walked closer kneeling down so that they were on the same level.
"Where's Mr. Si-ming?" That was a regular question; the regular reply was that he was busy working.
John looked at her and pat her head, "I believe he's preparing something for you." He smiled, "Now finish up your breakfast."
Lili smiled, over the past four weeks she had changed from a destructive Imp, to a charming young lady, apart from a few personality traits, which we not lady like at all.
"What outfit will you wear today, Lili?" John walked out of the closet carrying three frocks.
Lili looked up, "umm…" she looked at the three, "What would Mr. Si-ming prefer?"
John laughed, "do you always think of others before yourself kiddo?" he held up one of the three, "I'd think he'd like to see you wear this one, you only wore it a few times."
The girl nodded and stood up whipping her mouth with the bottom of her nightshirt. "Ok." She smiled up to her Onii-chan as he sighed slightly.
"Will you ever use the napkin…" He handed her the dress.
"What's a shirt for then?" She smiled and ran off to get changed.
He shook his head slightly and once again sighed.
Lili walked down to the main hall followed closely by John. She stopped on the last stair and he gave her a gentle nudge.
"We're going downstairs." He smiled lightly and opened the door revealing a long stairway.
"Onii-chan…" She looked down the staircase, "I never knew there was a downstairs…"
"It's where Mr. Si-ming works, his lab." He nodded down the stairs, "ladies first."
She smiled slightly and started down the stairs.
"What has he got for me?!" She looked back John, he looked a little saddened. "Onii-chan?" She blinked.
"What? Oh, sorry," He laughed brushing back some stray black hair, "I guess I got distracted, what did you say?"
"What has Mr. Si-ming got down there for me?" She smiled as the two reached the bottom of the stairs, which ended at an elevator door.
"Oh…" He looked at the sweet girl, and pressed the button summoning the lift. "He assured me that it is fun, whatever it is."
Lili clapped her hands, "yay! I hope it's a game we can all play!"
"Me too…" he said slowly as the two entered the elevator, which plunged deep below the estate.
Si-ming looked up from his computer as a small alarm sounded, "On time as usual." He nodded, pulling the protective goggles from his eyes. He looked briefly at the dark mass he constructed, "This should be powerful enough to control her." He nodded to himself and looked towards the elevator and crossed over to it. The doors opened. "Come 'ere kiddo." He knelt down and held out his arms, Lili ran forwards.
"Onii-chan said you had something for me!" She smiled hugging him. "What is it?"
"Ah, It's a game which I've designed for you." He took her rather small hand and led her over to a contraption, which looked like a rather large pipe, with decorative lights on it.
"Ooo…" She looked at it in awe, "what is it?!" She blinked looking up to her foster father.
"Ah, it's a simulation pod."
"Si-moo-lation. Pod?" she blinked.
"It means you sit in there and the game becomes more life like." John stepped forwards, wearing a white lab coat like Si-ming.
"Cool!" She smiled, "But there's only one… no one else will be able to play with me." She looked up and tugged John's sleeve, "you won't be able to play with me Onii-chan…"
"I know." He nodded slowly and sadly, "It will only work for you."
"Huh?" She blinked.
"Let's get you suited up kiddo… you'll see what we mean when you start to play it."
"Cool a simulation pod!" The male twin's eyes sparkled, the rest of them nodded, the girls had to admit that it was cool, they were, after all, technology junkies as well.
"What does to pod play?" the female twin looked up, at Nana, "Nana? What did it play?"
The woman smiled, "Just like your fathers… and some of your mothers, I must add. They too are fanatics about Technology." She chuckled and looked around.
"She was suited up in a matter of minutes…."
Lili stood at the hatch of the simulation pod she slipped in and sat in the rather large, but comfortable chair. She sat waiting, listening to the two outside the pod.
"Systems check." Si-ming said quickly while looking at a screen.
"All systems functional." John looked over his station at his employer, "professor, is this… right?"
"Right?" Si-ming almost laughed, "This child, assistant, is not like us at all. She possesses something, which no one could obtain. This." He picked up a glass casing and inside it was an inch by two inches computer chip. "She is no more human than the service bot."
John looked over at him, and sighed, "Still… she looks so young, so innocent…."
"She is the LAST of the line. She slipped from the 'Collectives' grasp five years ago when the factory burnt down, we are NOT going to loose her again." He glared at his assistant, "you got attached to her didn't you."
"… Y…yes sir..." He looked at him and hung his head, "I was in charge of her for a month, it's hard not to, if your around her 24 hours a day…"
"Enough." Si-ming held up his hand. "This child is the last hope, she must be trained or she will loose her life when the chip finally activates itself." He looked down at his screen, "Scenario Selector systems operational."
"We're going to go lightly on her aren't we?" John looked up, his face paling looking at the pod.
"Close the hatch…" Si-ming looked up to his assistant. "Close it."
John sighed and pressed the jade button shutting off the outside world from Lili.
The small girl jumped hearing the hatch hiss shut and lock. "Onii-chan? Mr. Si-ming?" she sat in the darkness, whimpering slightly, "I don't like this game so far…"
"Sir!" John looked up from his screen, "there appears to be a spike in the readouts!"
Si-ming nodded, "she's afraid, it's a normal reaction for a seven year old…" he looked at the spike. "Patch a line through to her."
"Sir." John nodded and worked through a communications system. "She can now hear you."
"Lili?" Si-ming spoke into a head set which he had put on.
"Mr… Mr… Si-ming?" She cried lightly, "I… I don't like this game…"
"It hasn't started yet… let's turn on some lights shall we?" he pressed a button on his control panel and a few lights lit up on the outside and inside of the pod. "That better?"
John looked up, "the spike has disappeared."
"Ok, Lili… in this game, you're a big strong robot. You have to go destroy the bad guy robots." Si-ming started the program showing a Leo suit. "To your left is the thrust, the right the direction. On the directional pad, there are a various amounts of buttons, each do something, the red uses a beam sword in the right hand, the blue a machine gun in the left. The green button starts up your radar, that will appear on the left of your screen, the yellow dots are friends, the red dots are bad guys, your robot, or Leo is in the middle of the radar at all times."
"Umm…" Lili looked around the pod, "what's the button on the thruster thingy…"
"That is a special thrust to make you fly for a short time."
"Why do I have to play with robots?" She mumbled over the system.
"What would you rather play with… ponies?" he looked down at the screen and started to prepare a start up scenario.
"No…" She mumbled. "Can I come out now?"
"No." Si-ming said sharply, "you're going to be in there until you finish this level. Starting level." The communication broke off. The pod jumped into life.
Lili looked around, she put her small hands on the rather large controls, pressing the green button, the radar screen popped up, there weren't many 'red dots', but there wasn't any yellow ones either. The screen flashed, and beeped at her, making her jump, a few seconds later the pod was black.
"What happened?" John looked up, from his screen, it was flat lining.
"She died, obviously… reload the scenario." He looked at his assistant, and get me a coffee."
Hours passed, the young girl Lili was slowly getting the hang of things. She found out that every time she was hit by the bad guys, she was jolted by a shock of electricity in her back, when she died, the shock doubled in time and voltage.
"Sir, any more and she will be fried!" John glared at the professor who was rubbing his temples.
"You just watch the screen…" he sighed, and looked at his watch, 3 pm. The girl had been doing this for four and a half hours.
Lili was hit from behind, the shock she received hit something deep down. She grabbed the controls and turned, her Leo charged shooting off a barrage of bullets, destroying one of the four suits in the scenario. She changed to her sword and slashed downwards, splitting the suit into two, she turned, and charged at another, her normally blue eyes, were slightly green in the darkness.
"Sir! She's responding finally! She's taken out two! No wait! Three of the suits!" John shouted looking at the statistics, which was coming from the system.
"About time…" Si-ming sighed, "I was beginning to wonder if we had the right child!" he put down his coffee mug and typed something into the computer.
"Sir? You've just increased the amount of enemy suits." John blinked and looked up to Si-ming who nodded sharply. "I thought you said that after this…"
"Exactly, after this scenario is finished." Si-ming looked at the pod then at his assistant, "I decide when the scenarios finished." He sat down again and sipped at his cool coffee.
After another batch of enemies for her to destroy, Lili was finally allowed to finish the training session for the day. The hatch opened and John looked into it, the poor girl was asleep, exhausted from the physical pain she received and from the constant action. He sighed and bent to pick her up.
"If she's asleep, leave her in there." Si-ming looked up at his assistant.
"But…" he looked at the professor, "She needs food, liquids…"
"What she needs right now is sleep. Let her be." Si-ming looked at the box he was working on before the two had arrived in his lab.
"Sir what… is… that thing?" John stepped off the small ladder and strode over to the other man.
"It's the next step in her training, it will be the new console which will help her focus on the tactical side of battle and broaden her mind." He picked up a helmet that had wires sticking out allover the place, "when it is finished, this will slowly start up the 'D-chip', which is slumbering in her head." He sat down and started to work on the visor.
"Sir… what should I do now." John looked at him.
"Be useful… make dinner." He waved his hand towards the elevator. John glanced at his employer and threw off his lab coat and entered to go upstairs.
Si-ming walked over to the control system and flicked a few switched, a crackling of the intercom told him that it was activated again.
"Lili... can you hear me…" he asked quietly.
One word was heard coming from the pod, though the voice sounded highly tired, it rung out clear as a bell, "More."
Si-ming blinked, More eh… I'll show you more. He smiled and pressed a button, the hatch closed. "Starting secondary scenario."
"Ooooh." The six looked at Nana, hooked to the words that came out of her mouth.
"A training pod…" The scruffy one nodded, "Very cool."
"She's only seven?" the blond girl held her hands to her face, "that's horrible!"
Mathew looked up, "what's the D-chip?" the two twins nodded to the question.
"Yeah what is this D-chip…" the Asian one looked up, "Nana-onna?"
Nana chuckled lightly and sipped the last few drops of her tea, "ah yes… the infamous and famous D-chip. Well you're going to have to wait to find out what that is aren't you." She chuckled slightly and lifted her mug again, "Oh my… out of tea…"
Mathew anticipated that, and he pressed a button summoning a service bot, which carried a pot of tea on a platter. "Another question…" he looked up to his nanny who was pouring herself some more tea, "Why did he compare her to a service bot?"
"Ah. Good question." Nana smiled and put the teapot back onto the tray, the service bot then put the tray on the table next to her and wheeled out. "Professor Si-ming compared her to a service bot because she was…"
"She was…" The six lent in eagerly to hear why.
"Where was I… oh, if we had something sweet, it would jog my memory…" She smiled winking. The six smiled, knowing that, Nana had a very large sweet tooth and the fact that the sweet thing is always, homemade, triple fudge brownies. The woman stood up and opened the closet door, revealing a small fridge. She took out a plate and put it onto the table. "Now… Lili was compared to a service bot because..."
"She was mass produced." A male voice from the door spoke up. Nana turned and smiled. "I heard that there was a story being told." The brunette man walked in, he was around 30, though he looked slightly younger, with his shining eyes, and strange hairstyle.
"Hi dad!" The scruffy one waved.
"Heya kiddo… OOOH! Triple fudge brownies!" he smiled and helped himself to one, which turned out to be three, "You know my soft spot Nana." He chuckled, nudged her lightly, and sat down next to his son.
"Anyone who knew your name, would know your soft spot Duo..." she chuckled, "Now... where are the rest of them?"
"Rest of who?" Duo looked up smiling innocently. "I do NOT know what you're talking about Nana…"
"Ha, ha… so where…" She sipped her tea, "ah." She turned and looked at a closed door, "Boys… come out." She smiled and walked over to a door and opened it. There sure enough were four bodies. "If you wanted to listen into story time… you could of just asked." She sighed and led the four into the room.
"Father." The Asian two looked at each other and bowed respectfully.
"Daddy!" The blond jumped into the shortest man of the five, a blond Arabian man, who chuckled slightly, and sat down with his daughter on his lap.
"Hi dad." The twins smiled up to their father, he nodded to the two and sat down, his daughter promptly jumping onto him and holding a brownie to his mouth, which he was to eat.
Mathew looked up to his dad; he was looking at Nana as if having a deep conversation, but they were only using their eyes. He walked up. "Dad… wanna join to listen to the story? It's really good so far."
Trowa turned looking at his son and nodded. He sat on the arm of the couch.
Nana chuckled looking at the eleven. "Well then." She sipped at her tea, "will there be any more people joining us?" The fathers smiled and shook their head. "Oh yes… I forgot, the mothers are on a cruise…" she looked at the group once more to make sure they were all settled.
"SIR! I thought you said…"
"She asked for more, I gave her more." Si-ming glared at his assistant.
"This is inhumane!" John smashed the tray of food onto the desk, shattering the crystal glasses.
"CONTROL YOURSELF!" Si-ming roared, "She is an android! She can handle this type of…."
"Are you forgetting sir…" John snapped back speaking through his teeth, "that I am the exact same as her?!"
"You are NOT the exact same as her. You are defective. She, on the other hand, is 80% perfect." Si-ming crossed over to him and picked up a plate of food. "Now, go get me another glass of water. The broken crystal will be deducted from your paycheck."
John glared at his employer, "defective my ass…" he growled to himself as he went to get another glass for water.
Si-ming turned towards the monitor jamming a fork full of food into his mouth, "80% perfect now… but after my training, you will be unstoppable… my Doppelganger…."
-= 3 months later =-
"Happy birthday Lili." Si-ming smiled looking at the girl who crawled out of her cot. After the last few months of daily training in the pod, and staying in Si-ming's underground lab, the girl was finely being let out to celebrate.
"Good morning sir." She looked up to her trainer, "Level 17 today?" She asked dully as if it was an automatic question, which it was, asked every morning when Si-ming woke her up.
"No. No training today. For a change you're going out."
"R…really?!" Lili jumped looking at him closely, "you're not lying are you?"
"Nope, he isn't." John walked into her little room and placed a rather long box onto her bed. "Hurry up and get changed."
The girl beamed, grabbed the box, and ran off to the bathroom to get ready.
"What was that."? Si-ming looked at his assistant.
"A birthday present." He smiled and slid on his leather jacket, "Will you be coming with us professor?"
"No. As planned you two are going out. I will be making a few adjustments to the pod." He walked out of the little room. John couldn't help but smile wider. "John, what is this? I didn't order breakfast or coffee."
"Oh, I thought that since I will be out all day, you wouldn't be eating until I get back." He walked up to the tray.
"I see…" Si-ming blinked and sipped at his coffee.
"Ready!" Lili ran out of the bathroom wearing the outfit, which was in the box. A pair of bootleg cut black pants, a white turtleneck shirt and a leather bomber jacket.
"Ya look great kid." John smiled and walked over to the elevator. "We'll see you tonight sir." He nodded and the two walked into their chariot to freedom.
Si-ming was left alone in the room watching the metallic doors close. The coffee cup fell from his grasp and shattered onto the floor, followed closely by the man's unconscious body.
"So." John walked out of the house followed closely by Lili who shielded her eyes.
"Oww… my eyes.." She hid her face from the light.
"Oh! Sorry!" he handed her a pair of dark sunglasses. "I told the professor that you should come outside more often..." he grumbled.
"Why?" The girl asked blinking as she looked through the dark shades.
"Your eyes have become accustomed to the darkness in that lab." He took her hand and led her down the stairs to the car waiting for them. "Wha-cha wanna do for the next two days?"
"Two? You said we'd be back by dinner…" She looked at him as he closed the car door, crossed over to his side and got in.
"Ah, well what the professor didn't know was that in his morning coffee there was enough drugs in there to knock him out until tomorrow morning. He won't remember a thing and thing that it is still today." The car started and moved out of the driveway. "So Miss. Lili, where to?"
The young girl squealed with excitement. "Anywhere Onii-chan!"
Just as the young girl wished, the two went everywhere and anywhere. From the Circus to the Zoo, no place was left untouched. On the evening of the first day the two pulled into the city.
"Wow! It's so big!" the young girl pressed her face to the window staring at the large buildings. The car stopped at a red light and the girl came face to face with a young Japanese boy with blue eyes. He glared at her coldly. She jumped backwards, the light changed and the car drove off, "Onii-chan…a boy outside my window…"
John laughed lightly, "Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about city children, they can be a tough bunch." The car turned into a parking lot. "Here we are, we'll be staying here tonight. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry…" A gurgling stomach answered him. "And I hear you are too! How 'bout we go grab some food. What would you like for supper?"
"Ice cream!" The girl jumped up and down grabbing her brother's hand. "Can we?"
"Hmm… I dono..." He scratched his chin for a few seconds.
"Pweeese?" Lili pouted, batting her eyelids and giving him the puppy dog eyes.
"Sure why not. I can't resist that face." He chuckled and pulled her up onto his back. "We just don't tell Si-ming. Promise?"
"Yup yup!" The girl smiled and wrapped her arms round his neck.
The night passed on, the two ate Ice Cream Sundays in a small little desert bar, which wasn't too far away from the hotel.
"Onii-chan?" Lili looked up from her chocolate mountain, "Have you ever been off this colony?"
"Mm hmm." He nodded putting his spoon down onto his dish. "Why ya ask?"
"What's it like?" she shoveled a spoonful of brownie, cookie, fudge sauce and ice cream into her mouth.
"What's what like?" he sipped his drink.
She looked at him. And sipped at her milk. "What's the rest of the solar system like?"
He laughed lightly, "I haven't been around the solar system… only to the other colonies and Earth."
"That's what I meant…" she pouted.
"Well, It's a very large place, the space between us and our neighbors. Thousands of miles separate us, so that we don't go smashing into each other. The other colonies are a few years older than this one, and there's another colony which is still developing it's self."
" 'ow many 'ollo-ees?" she spoke with her mouth fairly full of disgusting amounts of chocolate.
"How many?" He blinked, the girl nodded. "Well… there's the Winners colony, our sister colony, X18999… about seven, including this one." He counted his fingers, "well.. That's all I know of."
"Sister colony?" she blinked.
"Yeah, it's the closest one to us and it was made around the same time ours was… People call it 04 for short."
"Oh." She blinked. "Why's it called 04?"
"I believe… that it was the 4th colony created… but don't quote me on that one." He smiled and picked up he spoon scooping up a little of her Sunday.
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Shadow: well that's it for now. If you like it or if you don't feel free to tell me so! I'm open to anything, even suggestions & ideas which I might work into the story.