Underground 77 - Year 2136 – 100 years after the fallout:
"Miss summers?" A distance voice began.
"Hmm...huh?" I mumbled rolling over in bed, still half asleep.
"Ahem...miss Its time to get up." Said the voice again.
I slowly opened my eyes, only to be hit by beams of light, bright, bright light. I blinked a few times, waiting for my eyes to adjust. Surely it can't be morning all ready I thought.
"Miss summers, forgive me for waking you so early but your going to be late."
Slowly sitting up in my bed I turned to the source of the voice. With my eyes finally awake I was able to see the grey and white animatronic standing by my bedside. Down in Underground 77 we have domestic animatronics in each district, they'd help out with the heavy jobs that we didn't have the man power for. My parents worked in technology and engineering meaning they would often perform maintenance on the animatronics. When I was eleven years old my parents where selected for a long term project known as "operation frost bite." An experiment that was testing the ability to freeze it's chosen test subjects in the hopes of achiving the abilitie to preserve human life. In this case my parents where some of the many subjects choosen for the experiment.
Since I didn't have any siblings to care for me while they where away, they created an animatronic friend to watch over me. They were able to do so due to their jobs, it allowed them access to parts no one else would come across or be allowed to keep for their own self-serving purposes. For this reason I was the only one in the underground to have my own personal animatronic, that is except from the overseer who had one programmed as her personal assistant, after all she was in charge down here.
All the other animatronics were stationed in either the kitchens, labs, or technology departments, for constructible purposes available to the public, but not for personal use. Despite that I was Surprisingly able to keep my animatronic friend as a rare privilege rewarded for my parents hard effort and devotion to the underground...also I like to think my parents where favourites of nearly everyone, including the overseer herself so perhaps thats why we managed to cheat the system.
"Oh morning Wolfy, would you mind explaining why I'm up as early as..." I turned my attention to my fazband which displayed the current date and time. "FIVE THRITY!?" I gasped laying back down, returning to the warmth underneath my sheets.
"Wolfy why would you wake me this early?" I demanded, completely annoyed.
"Oh dear your really not a morning person are you miss Summers?" He enquired while giving me a pitiful look.
"Wolfy..." I moaned in my best no nonsense tone while giving off a large sigh. I didn't need this...I couldn't take this, not this early. So I suppose he was right. I am indeed not a morning person. My brain can't process things when I'm this tiered and right now, I couldn't contemplate what he was talking about...something about being...late?
"What could I possibly be late for this earliy in the..."
My thoughts where again interupted by the persistent wolf.
"I'd recommend checking your calendar miss" suggested Wolfy.
Pulling the sheets down, I looked over at him curiously. I swear if that robot had woke me this early, just to point out my menstruation cycle again, then I'd scrap him. Although...no, no It wasn't my time just yet so it couldn't be that. Giving in I let out a yawn and stretched my arms before returning to my Fazband to check the calendar, as Wolfie suggested.
"Oh...OHH!" I Shouted when the realisation hit me. Throwing the sheets off the bed I jumped out and hoped over to the bathroom.
"Your definitely right, I'm really not a morning person Wolfy. I can't believe I forgot!" I said stripping down, getting ready to get into the shower. I hadn't a moment to lose. Today was the day I'd been waiting for. The day my parents returned.
"Hurry on miss Summers, I'll see to preparing your morning tea."
Standing in the glass cubical I twisted the knob of the tap that controlled the water temperature. Suddenly cold water shot down form the hose above before gradually warming up. I tilted my head upwards, massaging the water into my hair and skin with one hand, while I used the other to reach down for my soap. As I stood in the shower, I felt myself awaken more and more, becoming less tiered by the second. while enjoying the waters ability to wake me up i drifted off, thinking deeply about being able to see my parents again. It had been several years since they where frozen...well actually the term was "hibernating." But regardless I've really missed them, seven years is way too long to be without family. I mean yeah sure I had Wolfie, but an animatronic is nothing in comparison to having my parents around, even if he has been a pretty good companion. Upon thinking about that, my mind continued to wonder off further. I remembered back to when my parents left, I felt so empty without them around. So I decided to dedicated my study's to engineering, it was something that helped me feel close to them considering it was their profession. In fact I would practice on Wolfie allot. Originally wolfie was designed from a Foxy suite, mixed with the parts of all the other animatronics, and whatever else we could find. But because of that his appearance was very displeasing and odd looking. He was one of the robots nobody seemed to want. I think the department he used to work in got shut down, so that would explain how my parents where able to bring him back and work on him without having to steal or make him from scraps. Since he was all I had I worked on giving him that little personal touch. I had input a flash light into the empty eye socket, under the eye patch. In the other eye I inserted a camera, so he could see me and that which was around him. One of his hands where missing, usually the Foxy animatronics have a little plastic hook at the end, I switched this for something a little more...handy, if you'll excuse the pun. In replacement to his hook was a multipurpose handy tool, something of my own design. The rounded base of the missing hook was the perfect installation spot for the tool. On display was always a screw driver, after all I seemed to need that the most. The other two tools would twist up as the previous one went back down inside the rounded base and then into the arm. Those tools being a mini flame thrower, and a flip knife. Finally to finnish it all of was the new paint job I gave him. I decided to be creative and painted in grey and white to resemble a wolf. Hence the name Wolfy. I can't wait to show him off to my parents. I'm sure they'd be proud.
I snapped out of my daze upon hearing a muffled voice coming from the other room. Turning the water off to hear better I started to step out off the shower as I wrapped a dry towel around my hair and body.
"Sorry Wolfy, did you say something?" I shouted from the bathroom.
"Yes miss, I wanted to inform you that I've left a hot herbal tea sitting on your night stand" Replied Wolfy from beyond the door.
"Oh cheers Wolfy, you do look after me" I laughed, heading towards the door.
"That I do miss Summers." He stated gladly.
I left the bathroom heading towards where my bed was. Opposite the bed was a double sized mirror attached to the wall, walking over to it, I slid the mirror to the right to reveal a walk in closet behind it. Inside was five jump suites...which all looked alike. Boring! I hated the jump suites at underground 77. Everyone always looked the same and everyday I would stare into my closet wondering which one of my identical outfits I'd choose to wear. This time I just grabbed the first one available to me. I was so excited to see my parents again that I wasn't willing to waste any time. I wanted to be there during the activation process because ever since I was little I dreamed of my parent awaking, and the first thing they would be seeing was me. Oh I'd run into their arms and hug them as tight as possible.
Throwing my suite on I zipped it up and tied my hair up into a messy bun. I wore the same brown boats that I usually wear to work in the engineering department. As I was about to leave I grabbed the newly charged battery for my fazband, swapping it with the one currently plugged in so it could charge up. With a fresh battery life to last the day I headed towards the door, only to be stopped by Wolfy.
"Miss summers, forgive me...but wouldn't you rather put some effort into your appearance?" He emphasised the word "some" in a way that came across as if I looked a complete mess. But I couldn't be bothered to argue with him. Giving one final glance in the mirror, I started to see Wolfie's point.
"Okay..." I said walking over to my dresser.
"There. Perfect!" I said smiling. Wolfy sighed upon seeing me add a basic hair stick into my bun, my signature look.
I've never been one for dressing up, I'd rather not waste my time doing so either. I was far to excited to go and see my parent's to worry about anything of the sort. In fact it's like my mother all ways used to say when I was younge.
"It's not a fashion show out there Willow."
She had always replied that as her signature line when I had complained about the jump suite standard uniforms.
Now ready I move towards the door to leave.
"Miss wait" he demanded once again.
"What now?" I asked impatiently. Wolfy only turned and pointed to the tea he'd left sitting on the nightstand.
"Your tea miss Summers" he stated plainly.
"Oh yeah, right" I said nodding.
Holding the tea in my hands I reached for the door knob, only to hesitate and turn back to Wolfy.
"Anything else you'd like to add before I leave?" I asked sarcastically.
"No miss, off you go, and good luck." He said giving me a thumbs up. I smiled and opened the door to leave.
Stepping outside the door, I closed it behind me and locked it from my Fazband. There was a security app installed in each, engineers used it to get access to off limit grounds such as storage closest, plumbing decks and service rooms. One of the perks of working in engendering is the upgraded security opportunity's. Once when I was out, someone had tried breaking into my room. They'd completely trashed the palace and even stole a few parts I'd planned on using to upgrade Wolfy. Those parts Where not easy to get a hold of either. Luckily though it wasn't anything I couldn't replace. Now with the advanced security I don't have to worry about such things while I'm away.
Walking down the corridor I sipped on my coffee thinking about the moment my parents would awake. I've been dreaming of this day for years.
I must have been deep in thought whike walking because as I made it to the end of the corridor and turned a corner, I bumped into some old woman.
"Oh, sorry...Mrs Faith. I wasn't paying attention" I said sweetly. Harvest Faith whom I had bumped into was a close friend of my parents, in fact she knew them when they were Young themselves. During the first few years of being without my parents, Mrs Faith offered me to stay at her place until I was old enough to live alone, well alone with Wolfy that is. She would often tell me bedtime story's about a place called Freddy Fazbears pizza, according to her, that's where these animatronics originally came from. She says my family and her family have know each other for generations inside the underground. Apparently her great, great grandparents was friends with my great, great grandparents, known as the Fitzgerald family. I think she said her family where know as the Greenly's back in the days of war...or something like that.
"No worries my dear, are you on your way down to the science lab?" she asked.
"yep, heading there now" I answered. "My parents are about to wake up" I said smiling.
"Wonderful news Willow" she said clapping. "In that case I shan't keep you any longer, I'll see you and your family sometime soon."
"Yes defiantly" I agreed nodding. I waved goodbye and continued off down the next corridor.
The science lab that my parents where stored in was called "Carbonek" in sector thirty. And everyone knows the science labs in sector thirty are off limits to those without the highest of clearance. Even the top engineers can't access that sector. Of course this means they wouldn't let anyone un-involved in the experiment inside during the process of activation. However I happen to know someone who works inside the lab on this particular project, and after weeks of asking he agree to get me clearance, just for today to watch my parents wake up. Although I won't be able to go in alone, he's got to be there to accompany me at all times, otherwise we'd both be in a lot of trouble. I suppose that was fair enough, The thirtyth floor was out of bounds to the public. But I would have liked to have brought Wolfy with me, but alas I can't.
I pressed the button calling the elevator and stood waiting for it to open. After stepping inside I hit the button for floor seventeen. I was currently on floor six. The first ten floors where dedicated to public housing (living quarters) where people like me lived. The next five floors where simular to job centre's, people who worked in security offices or in the gardening department, or even engineering like me would spend the majority of their lives there. The five floors after that where dedicated to schools, collages, medic centres and training gyms, there was also a sector used as a cafeteria and kitchen on these floors. Lastly was the five floors used as science labs. These floors where split into sectors, much like any other floor, but without the elevator key code you couldn't access these floors, thess floors where for scientists and top level security officers only. The twenty fifth floor however wasn't used as a science department but rather a privately owed office belonging to the overseer. Yep you don't get any higher than the overseer, and so her office took up an entire floor. Mainly because that floor contained allot of heavy machinery controlling the oxygen supplies and life support systems. Which only she had access to.
For now I needed to head over to the cafeteria on floor seventeen, that's where I agreed to meet my friend Sage. It's not like I can access the science floors without him, so we decided to meet half way. I needed to find him so he could use his key code pass to take us up to sector thrity.
As the elevator ascended I heard a bleep on my fazband. I always kept it on hand, wrapped around my wrist like a smart watch. I looked down over at the screen.
"Table eight at red paws, don't be late – Sage" I said reading the message out loud. I smiled, I had doubts that Sage would actually allow me to come along. It was a fear lingering in the back of my mind that he'd cancel last minute, in the past he hasn't been the most reliable. But seeing his message he made me feel reassured.
"floor seventeen. You have arrived at your destination" sounded the elevator as it came to a halt.
Arriving at red paws cafe, I was somewhat surprised to see so many people up this early. I pushed my way through the herd of people heading towards table eight. There I saw from a distance a man with dark hair in a white lab coat. I could only see him from behind and upon looking I noticed the carbonek symbol next to the undergrounds logo "seventy seven".
I tapped him on the back before moving to sit in the seat opposite him. He watched me as I did so and sat up straight in his chair.
"Ha, so you didn't bring that robot dog thing of yours...I guess my old buddy Calibos lost our bet then" Sage said smuggly. He had been referring to his lab partner, whom was well know as a notorious gambler.
"Has anyone ever told you Sage, that your hilarious?" I asked sarcastically. Sage only leaned back in his seat and smirked.
"And for your information Wolfy isn't a dog" I added.
"I tell you this every time...Im beginning to belive you say that on purpose, just to mock me" I said seriously.
"Whatever you say blondie" he replied with a sly grin.
Arh that nick name was so degrading, now I knew for sure he was trying to annoy me. But today I wouldn't acknowledge it, nothing could bring me down today. I just frowned and rolled my eyes.
"Well come on then, we'd better not waste anymore time" said Sage standing up.
"Ha yeah, coming from the one who came all the way here just to eat some corn flakes" I joked pointing to the half empty bowl. Sage only rolled his eyes back at me and smiled.
We left the cafe and headed towards the elevator. Sage imputed the key code to the panel which granted us access to the thirtyth floor.
"Remember not to touch anything when In the lab" He started to say before I cut him off.
"I know, I know I'm not a child Sage" I interrupted. He looked over at me and smiled before moving forward to leave as the door opened. This was it. Floor thirty.