Disclaimer: I don't own Vocaloid characters or songs. All I own is the plot.
My eyes slid open just on time, like every day. I was greeted with the familiar white ceiling. Reaching out with my right hand, I pulled a lever to the side of my bed.
The wire plugged into my back-an unfortunate side effect of being a Vocaloid- unplugged itself. I wrapped it up and hooked it over the back of my bed then jumped up, stretching.
Today was a Sunday, June 7, year 2314. Time to party before the week started.
I walked to my mirror. My hair was a mess, but with the help of an assortment of brushes and hairsprays that wouldn't affect my inner robotic mechanisms I managed to get it into two teal pigtails. I put on a pair of denim capris and a cyan tank top with a black and white checker pattern faded in from the left side. Then I headed out the automatic door and into the hallway.
The lights seemed to be on in Luka's room just across the hall from me. I pressed my palm against the scanner that unlocked the door. We had all programmed them to identify multiple handprints, so not only the owner of a room could enter. Major trust was required. Sure enough, I found the pink haired Vocaloid standing at her full length mirror. She turned when I open the door.
"Miku-chan, what ever happened to knocking first?" she teased. I flushed upon noticing that her black shirt was only half buttoned.
"Sorry, I'll-"
"Oh, come on, Miku. I was teasing. We're all girls here," she added with a sly grin. This, minus the smile, would have been reassuring were it not for the fact that Luka tended to make it quite clear which gender she was attracted to.
"Thanks, Luka," I muttered, walking out of her room.
There were eight people in this house. These were Megurine Luka, Kagamine Rin and her twin Len, Kaito, Meiko, Megpoid Gumi, Kamui Gakupo, and myself, Hatsune Miku. It was a big house. We were known as Vocaloids, a very almost human being, created through the use of technology. We were capable of emotions, and had long since gotten used to the fact that we were programmed to act how we act. In some ways this is useful. Our Master, a human who died long ago, was a kind man who did his best to make everyone happy. Each of our personalities worked well with everyone else's, and we were all made to be self-confident. Thus, everyone was happy. It was so very easy, not like human lives. Those seemed to be far too luck of the draw.
Vocaloid started as a singing program. During our early years we recorded music and gave performances almost every day. That was less of a priority now. Recent advances in technology made music recording much easier. Our voices were recorded onto software with which music was made, and so we didn't have to sing to make music. Not to mention the current war over some advanced technology that was kept top secret made music less important. We still sang, of course, but there was much more free time than before.
I continued toward the twins' room. The Kagamines weren't quite twins, more like mirror images. They had very similar programming and voice generating. The only real difference was gender. And of course they were no more related than I was to Kaito. This made it perfectly fine that they were in love.
I scanned my hand and the door opened. Len was in bed, snoring, and Rin was laughing hysterically in a chair in the corner of the room. I giggled.
"Hi, Rin-chan. What's up?"
"What does it look like?" she said. "This guy needs to get less...noisy." She laughed.
The twins were very yellow. Short blond hair, yellow bedroom, yellow clothes. They looked very innocent, but if you asked any Vocaloid who was most likely to kill someone they'd all say Rin.
"Try to wake him up. Breakfast in a few."
I next checked Meiko's room, but it was empty. She was probably with Kaito, knowing her.
Gumi was already up and in the kitchen with Gakupo. The others joined us shortly after. We were completely capable of food consumption, though it wasn't exactly necessary. It tasted good.
After breakfast, I walked down to Luka's room. Rin was sitting with her on her pink couch. I plopped down between them. The TV was on.
"The war continues to destroy land," the reporter on screen said. Behind her was an over exaggerated wasteland of fallen buildings and dead trees. "People are dying at a remarkable pace. The opposing side is keeping their goals secret. We do not yet have any insight into their motives. More after the break."
The TV cut to commercials and Rin shut it off. I glanced at Luka. "What's she going on about?"
"I don't know," she said lazily. "Something involving guns...and dead people..."
"Whatever." Rin shut off the TV. "I'm gonna go read. You two do whatever."
"See ya." I waved. She shut the door behind her.
"How's it going?" Luka asked softly.
"Fine, I guess. This whole war thing is a little scary."
"Yeah."
It was only a few years ago that the war started. Nobody understood it. People tried to ignore it. But it was difficult, with all the deaths and cities destroyed and curfews and locked city walls. That was why we couldn't go on tour. Vocaloid was very much limited to Japan now. No one from outside here and a few other countries had laid eyes on one of us in years.
"What if one of us dies, Luka? Any of the eight of us?" What if it's you?
"We won't."
"How can we be sure?"
"We're stronger than humans, Miku. You know that. We're similar, but where they have bone we have metal. We are destructible, but either way not a single one of us would let another die. Maybe this is the one time we don't have to wish to be human."
"I don't wish I was human..." I looked down. "Maybe."
"Oh, come on." She smiled. "I know you do. We all do. We shouldn't, but we do." Her voice softened. "Sing."
I closed my eyes. "Mou yukiba ga nai wa kono koi no netsuryou...ah..."
"See? What human does that?" She pulled me into a hug. "Don't worry. Miku."
I smiled. "Thanks." I got up and walked for the door-one way glass that looked like a mirror from the outside-which slid open for me.
Gumi sat in the living room on blue couch, a video chat program open on her green laptop. She had it specially made so the logo on the back was not an apple but a carrot. Oh, Gumi.
"Who are you talking to?" I sat down next to her. "Sorry if I'm interrupting."
"Nah, it's fine!" she reassured me.
"Hi, Miku! Nice to see you!" the red haired girl on the screen was SF-A2 Miki, a Vocaloid who lived in a different city. We hadn't seen her or some of her other friends since the war, which was too bad. Gumi had always been especially friendly with her, and sometimes I wondered how much she liked her, but then again it seemed likely the green haired girl had a bit of a crush on Len. Miki had called one night saying she wouldn't be able to visit for quite a while, and that was that. We hadn't seen her since.
"Great to see you too!" I smiled at her.
"I was just telling Gumi that I just talked to Neru, and Haku. They miss you guys!"
"How's Teto and the other Utauloids doing? And Lily and little Yuki?" Gumi asked.
Utau was another company similar to Vocaloid. They were created by a different master, but other than friendly rivalries we had always considered ourselves equal, especially since the war started.
"Everyone's fine." Miki answered.
"Has anybody communicated with other countries? America? Korea? I know there are a few Vocaloids there as well." I asked.
"No, sorry. It's been hard."
"Don't worry. I miss you. I'm gonna go see if anyone's got something to do." I got up.
"Bye!" Gumi and Miki said in unison.
The day passed uneventfully. At dinner time we all sat in our usual spots. The table was a perfect circle of glass but the legs were various different colors. Jokes involving the Vocaloids of the Round Table got old the day we bought it. Plus we fought so badly over spots that Gumi came up with the cheesy idea of rainbow order. Meiko sat with Rin to her right, then Len, Gumi, myself, Kaito, Gakupo, and Luka between him and Meiko. When Kaito and I broke up he and Luka switched, a good deal for him because it put him next to Meiko, his current girlfriend.
"So, what's up with everyone?" Meiko asked.
"Same old," Rin said.
"I talked to Miki today!" Gumi said. It got quiet. She blushed. "I don't like her. Besides, I mean, it's really exciting because she says everyone in Japan is fine. We can't communicate well across country borders, though."
"Too bad. Did you ask Neru how her phone is doing?" Meiko asked.
Everyone laughed.
"Are they married yet?" I giggled. It was a running joke that Neru was in love with that phone.
"No, I didn't ask." Gumi grinned.
"Didn't Gakupo used to like Neru?" Kaito asked.
"Oh, Gakupo has liked everyone. And so have you, Kaito." Rin said.
"I seem to recall a time when you liked each other," Luka added.
"They kissed," Gumi commented matter-of-factly. "Right after Kaito broke up with you Miku. Maybe that's why he dumped ya!"
"Oh, please. We only dated for publicity. 'The most loved Vocaloid girl with the most loved Vocaloid boy.'" I answered, quoting what Master had said when he'd told us we should date.
"They did NOT kiss," Meiko said.
"We saw it, too," Rin grinned.
"Unfortunately," Len frowned. "It was horrible."
"It was hot!" his sister contradicted him.
"Fangirl."
Meiko stood up abruptly. "You kissed?!"
Luka laughed. "Get over it, Meiko."
The brown haired woman sat down, only after hitting Kaito with her napkin.
"Now you like Luka, don't ya?" Gumi reached across me and Luka to tap Gakupo teasingly.
"Oh, gross!" Luka scooted her chair away from Gakupo.
"Really, Luka, just because you're more interested in a certain someone to your left doesn't mean all guys are gross," Rin pouted.
"Just because you think all guys are hot doesn't mean-"
"Shut up, Len."
"I would know. I can see your thoughts, after all."
"Really, Len."
"Luka likes who?!" I shouted, a bit late.
"What?" Luka asked.
"You," Gumi, Rin, and Len said in unison.
"Who?" Kaito asked.
"WILL EVERYONE SHUT UP?!" Meiko screeched.
"No-" Gumi started, but I covered her mouth with my hand.
"I was thinking maybe we could do some karaoke and dance or something today after dinner. How does that sound?" I asked.
"Sure!" I was answered with seven different forms of "Yes."
"Alright. Meet me in the TV room when you're ready."
We ate fast, and everyone arrived in the room on time. I had my iPod plugged into the flat screen, playing karaoke through the TV.
Rin and Len sang Trick and Treat first, because of course they found it necessary to start the night with a creepy song. Next Luka and I performed Magnet. It was an interesting song choice, but Gumi practically made us sing it. She also threatened to stab us if we didn't dance. "Magnet" and "dance" and "Luka" equaled "BAD" in my mind. But I didn't really care to be stabbed.
We ended the song about a centimeter apart, her headpiece microphone practically touching my face, earning a round of applause from everyone in the room. Our faces were flushed from dancing and spinning, and she took my hand and we curtsied to the "audience."
Meiko had wanted to perform something, but being Meiko she was already drunk and making out with Kaito on the couch in the back before Luka and I were even done singing. Gumi sang Because, Because, Because, and Gakupo The Madness of Duke Venomania. Awkward song. But still, we all joined in on our lines. Except Meiko.
I was doing the infamously fast Two-Faced Lovers when suddenly the sound cut and the lights flickered out.
"Awwwww..." Rin whined. "Power outage? Really?"
I looked out the window. There were flashing lights in the night sky. Fighter planes.
"It's an air raid," I breathed. "Or someth-"
A bomb exploded somewhere nearby, rattling the ground.
"They must have gotten to the city's central power system, that's why the alarm didn't sound and the electricity cut," Gakupo said in a businesslike manner. "We need to go through with standard procedures. Shut the shades, get into the basement. I would give us about five minutes, maybe. Let's go!"
Okay, so that's the first chapter. I have a few more written but I have to edit them. This is my personal least favorite chapter-it improves at least a little. R&R! Constructive criticism is appreciated if you know the line between that and flaming. I am sooo excited right now! :D First fanfiction that I'm posting!