KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK-
"Cody, get the door!" Aaron yells from the living room as he settles into his armchair, preparing to watch the news at 4. Bronwyn has immediately vanished to continue with painting the bathroom, so that only leaves me to answer the raging knocks.
I dart down the hallway and approach the door cautiously. Before unlocking the ridiculous amount of security locks which were attached, I take a peek through the spy hole.
Luke. With Sky, Rani and Clyde. The whole lot of them. The chances of me opening the door to them are a million to one, unless of course, they MAKE me.
"Hello?" Luke knocks again. "Anybody there?"
Sky glares right into my eye. "Something's moving in the tiny mirror thingy!"
"Is that you, Seraphine?" Luke asks. "Can you come out, please?"
He has addressed me by my real name. I decide to try a technique humans tend to use in their telephone answer machines. "I AM NOT AVAILABLE AT THE MOMENT...LEAVE A MESSAGE...AND I'LL...I'LL GET BACK TO YOU LATER."
"Seraphine, just open the door," Clyde sighs. "We know it's you."
"This door will not open. It will not open as long as you remain here," I scoff. Then something occurs which I did not expect. The sound of an electronic object, whilst it transfers electromagnetism, breaking the lock. Before I know it, they have opened the door, and I am facing them in seconds.
"A... A hacking device," I exhale, then stare down at the miniature, golden baton Luke clutches between her fingers. I raise an eyebrow. "...L...lipstick?"
He nods, seriously. "It came in handy for a lot more functions than just making Mum look pretty," he remarks. "Besides, shouldn't you be used to alien technology?"
I choose putting on an innocent act to see how experienced this group truly is. "W-What do you mean?" I attempt a stunned expression. "Aliens? Are- are you absurd, Smith?"
"What was that special effects show you put on in IT today, then?" Rani questions me. "We saw you excuse yourself from the lesson. It was obvious you were behind it."
"So I cannot go to the toilet?" I snap. "You're insane. Aliens. You think I'm an alien. Ha! You think I'm a... it may of been a computer virus, as theorised."
Clyde steps forward, an attempt to intimidate me. "Oh yeah? What kind of computer virus causes THAT? Seraphine, give it up. We know what you are. We have known one of your kind for over half a decade now." Luke uses his hands, hinting at his accomplice to quieten down. They have knowledge of my race's existence?
"We won't hurt you. Trust me," Luke tells me. "You're a Xylok, aren't you?"
"H-how..." I stutter. How could she know? Extraterrestrial hunters, yes. This neighbourhood majority was.
"You are on the search for your father are you not? Trying to find him after 2 centuries of separation."
"H-how could you know. A measly hominid. How-"
"When my Mum died, we came to the mutual understanding that we needed to continue her work, as a tribute, and also, without somebody to step up after her, who would be able to keep an eye on Earth? Sky, Clyde, Rani and I. We are The Infinite Circle - and we can solve your problem for you. Infact, we can reunite you with your Dad right this minute. Are you coming?" Luke grabs my hand and hauls me out of the house.
"PARDON?" I exclaim, almost tripping down the wooden step. "YOU KNOW MY FATHER? I-I don't understand!"
"Goodness, we've known your dad for yonks," Clyde replies, whilst picking up speed on the curb.
The quintet of humans drag me across to next door, the Smith household. Luke opens the door for us and we head inside, one by one, and directs us upstairs, so I ascend the staircase following after him and his synthetically-devised sister, with their friend behind, as if preventing me from fleeing if the need be. Which hopefully is not the case. We arrive to the top, where I am then directed towards an entrance, to an attic. This is a trick. It has to be a trick. They are intending to trap me here, and what have I done? I've took the bait. How could I let them, ludicrous humans, do such a thing?
I am about to break away and escape from the house, however Sky has already closed the garret entryway. Flicking back his fringe, Luke moves quickly across the room, and hops over the gradation which has been made in the floor. He takes a breath, before vigorously announcing:
"Mr Smith, I need you!"
Then standing back straight afterwards.
Yes - this is a trap, and I must make an exit right this instant. I am about to target the five of them each in a containment vortex and gallop off as far as these feet can take me, but that's when it happens. The chimney starts to take itself apart. There are giant wheeshes of steam, and a loud fanfare plays to the top volume. Slowly revealing itself comes a massive, extraterrestrial supercomputer. Not just any extraterrestrial supercomputer. A Xylok extraterrestrial supercomputer.
The music finishes, as the machine finally makes its form complete.
"Is that you, Seraphine?" a familiar voice echoes from the speakers, which I haven't heard for a long time, and but immediatley recognise once I hear it again. My response?
"Well, shit."
**THIRD PERSON POV**
"Excuse me?"
The apparent-young woman's mini black dress blew in the slight draught of the attic. She quivered in the knee-length boots she wore on her feet, and tightened the red bow that was tied into her long, dark curls of hair.
Peering up at the magnificent masterpiece of technology before her, Seraphine backed down in awe, almost falling back into the arms of those whom had brought her here.
"I-I mean," she hesitated. "... This is quite the reunion."
"It is, isn't it?" the machine affirmed. "When was the last time we spoke?"
Seraphine thought for a moment. "The-the Victorian age, it may seem."
"Goodness." Mr Smith's flickering neon swirls tightened mid-screen. "How is it that, you appear to me in this human state of yours?"
Seraphine clasped her hands together awkwardly. "It is a long story. But to shorten such a tale... I had managed to connect to - to - the cryogenic pod for which the corpse was placed, v-via the cybernetic enhancements that kept it activated, and transferred myself over."
Mr Smith's tone changed to that of disbelief. "So basically, I am conversing with a possessed human?"
"J-just be grateful that I do not turn my head 360 degrees or - or crab walk across the ceiling."
Seraphine hissed, and he laughed.
However, his laughter stopped abruptly after a few seconds. "You have a slight stutter, Seraphine. That's new."
The girl in question sighed, knowingly. "You should try it...talking...talking out of this mouth piece. It is not entirely convenient - that's f-for sure."
Mr Smith decided to leave the topic out of perceptiveness. "Well, it is most certainly strange to be in conversation after so long."
"Yes," Seraphine replied. "But not that it is bad thing."
"Of course not," Mr Smith agreed. "Thank you, Luke, for bringing Seraphine."
"You're welcome," Luke smiled reassuringly. "So...does that now make her one of us, guys?"
Rani looked back at her male friend, with an unsure expression lingering on her face. "Sky only joined last week."
"But Seraphine IS my daughter," Mr Smith retorted from behind the group. "Sky was not of your blood, was she, Rani?"
"Your point is?"
"I would be the one to take care of Seraphine when she is in our presence. There is nothing to be concerned about."
"AND," Seraphine added. "I could be for back-up, if he's running low due to...'technical difficulties'... l-let's say-"
"Watch that tongue, young lady. I never experience sincere techni-"
"I'm trying to help!" she whispered sharply, continuing her negotiation with the group. "Please, Luke. I will do all I can to assist you - and I will be careful not to get too much into your business i- if - if you do not wish for me to."
Clyde and Rani were still not sure. Sky was neutral, amusing herself with a Newton's Cradle in the background. Luke stood like an adult, considering whether or not another Xylok should somehow tag along occasionally.
Within a few minutes, he came to a decision. "Fine. Mr Smith, Seraphine will be visiting one a week, and may aid us sometimes when required. Is that ok with the two of you?"
Seraphine nodded firmly. "Thank you ever so much," she exhaled, and a quiet yet audible breath of relief come from Mr Smith. The giant clock ticked in front of them, and a chime sounded, meaning another hour had gone by.
"Oh. I do believe it is time for me to depart," Seraphine told the quintet. "Once more, I give you to my greatest gratitude, the lot of you," I head for the attic door and twist the handle. "Goodbye for now."
Luke flashed her a grin. "Take care on your way out."
She gazed back at Mr Smith before she left. "A pleasure, Father, to see you again," I say.
The neon colours of his screen flickered back and forth casually. "Farewell, Seraphine," he replied, as Seraphine closed the door behind her then cleared out of the house.
**SERAPHINE'S POV**
So that was that. I have finally been reunited with my father. He is only a house away now. Incredible. I wonder what it is like for him to view me as a human. It sure is strange to of seen him as an artificial intelligence made out of a chimney, however, if one of your parents was, wouldn't you perceive that as preposterous?
Now that I have found my father, however, it is time for my secondary purpose to be taken into consideration for real. That would of course, go against what I have told Luke and those asinine adolescents. Does it matter to me? No, not to a big proportion.
Only my purpose matters.
