A/N: My apologies for this late update. You can blame my teachers that thought it was funny to give me so much homework and exams to study for all in one week!...Ah who am I kidding, I'm to blame for not updating. Alright, enough of my infernal blabbing, here is chapter 10!
Chapter 10: Scary Dreams and Undefined Things
"Oh, so that's how you all met huh?!" Zoran asked.
"That's right, and I still got the net to prove it!" Cora said.
Astro and his friends were standing outside of the school gates as the school day was coming to an end. Kids were flooding out of the school doors. Some running to catch the Metro Transit Bus, some getting picked up by their parents, other just simply walking home with a group of friends.
"I still can't believe that whole time we thought you were a human! A robot sure never crossed my mind." Sludge mentioned.
"Yeah neither did mine!" Zane added.
"That must have been an intriguing meet for sure." Jeremy stated.
"Tell me about it. Who knew my kidnappers would be my now best friends." Astro explained while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Hey I wouldn't call it kidnapping." Cora said.
"Oh yeah, then what would you call it?"
"Robot-Napping!" Widget laughed.
Astro rolled his eyes and laughed.
Zoran jumped in between them. "Wait! Wait! I still wanna see the net! I wanna see the net!"
HONK! HONK!
"Master Astro! Miss Zoran, time to go!" Orrin was standing outside the car waving at them, ready to open their doors.
"Oh Orrin's here, we gotta go now."
"Aw man." Zoran pouted.
"Don't worry Zoran, we'll show you the net some other time ok?" Cora said.
"Fine, bye everyone it was nice meeting you!"
"Yeah bye guys, see you tomorrow!" Astro shouted.
"See ya guys!" Zane and Liberty yelled.
They all separated and began to leave headed for home.
Orrin opened their doors. "Hello you two, Miss Zoran did you have a splendid first day?" Orrin asked as they all boarded the vehicle.
"An absolutely positively splendid first day," Zoran said while putting on her seat belt. "I met new people and I got to make cool experiments and I ate yummy deserts and I learned tons of new things!"
Orrin smiled. "Well I am happy to hear that Miss Zoran."
"It's just Zoran Orrin. Hey Orrin, is Dad home yet?" Astro asked.
"No I'm afraid not. Actually, he called me early this afternoon before I came to pick you two up. Said he'd be coming home later and not to wait up."
"That's weird?" Astro said.
"What's so weird about it? Daddy is working."
"Yeah but he said that he would come home early today to check up on you, to see if you're alright and how your first day went."
Zoran looked down. "Oh."
"I really don't know what's going on with him, maybe its just work but, he has been a bit inconspicuous lately."
"Really in what ways Orrin, I haven't noticed?" Astro asked.
"Well that's because you've been in school and with your friends most of the time Astro. I do remember though, about a week and 3 days ago, as I was picking up clothes from your room to do laundry, I walked out and into his room and noticed he was just sitting on his bed staring at his phone."
"Why?" Astro asked.
"I asked, said he was just checking for the time. But each time I passed Master Tenma's room he was still staring at his phone. Now I don't know why he'd need to check the time every 3 minutes."
"Hmm. That is weird." What's up with Dad? Maybe I'll talk to him once he gets home. Astro thought.
The rest of the ride home was a pure silence. Even Zoran was helplessly quiet, just staring out in awe at the surreal city that she can now call home.
They finally reached the apartment building and Orrin drove the car into the parking lot. As he parked the car and wheeled out to their door he began to smile. "Zoran, there's a surprise waiting for you upstairs."
Zoran's eyes widened. "A surprise, yeah I love my surprise!" She then frowned and looked to Astro and Orrin. "What's a surprise?"
They started to walk towards the elevator. "How can you love a surprise and yet you don't know what it is. Actually, if you knew what it was then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" Astro said.
"Wait, you're not supposed to know?" Zoran got a bit angry. "I HATE SURPRISES I WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'M GETTING NOW!"
"Geez relax Zoran! You'll know once we get upstairs. Man whoever created you sure did make you spoiled."
Zoran suddenly calmed down and she began to look a bit frightened. The word created must have triggered something. She started to remember what she had dreamt last night. She started to shake.
Astro looked over to her and noticed her just standing there shaking. He jogged over to her side. "Hey, Zoran are you ok?"
She did responded. Instead, her eyes began to dilate.
Orrin wheeled over to her. "Miss Zoran are you in need of help?"
She stopped shaking and looked to Orrin. She didn't say a word.
"Zoran?"Astro called trying to snap her out of it.
Zoran slowly moved her eyes towards her brother.
Astro cocked his head to the side, looking at her confused.
Zoran then blinked and smiled. She was totally back to normal. "Did you say something brother?"
Orrin and Astro looked at each other, then back to Zoran. "Zoran are you ok?" Astro asked.
"Never better...why?"
"Well you looked a bit-"
"Are you going to show me my surprise or not?" She said jumping up and down.
"Uh, alright then let's go."
Zoran happily skipped into the elevator with Orrin and her brother. The elevator started to go up to their floor.
The elevator ride up was a bit uneasy. Orrin remained standing by the buttons while Astro and Zoran were behind him. Astro never took his gaze off his sister. He didn't know why she acted so strangely back in the parking lot.
Zoran knew that Astro's gaze was upon her. She just didn't want to tell him about her dream. She didn't know what exactly it meant and she didn't want her brother worrying. To make it seem like she was alright, she began to dance around the elevator to the classical music that was playing in there.
Astro smiled.
The elevator came to a halt and made a Ding sound. As the doors opened an announcement came on saying what floor they were on.
Once they got to the door Orrin opened it and Zoran quickly ran inside and began to look around.
"What's the surprise what's the surprise!" She shouted.
"Follow me and you'll find out." Orrin said. He wheeled towards the bedroom hallway and Asrto and Zoran followed.
They passed Astro's room and came to a spot by one of their guest bedrooms. "Ahem, Zoran," Orrin opened the door. "welcome to your new room!"
Zoran gasped at the sight of her new room. She walked in and looked around.
It was pink and white with some blue furniture. There was a bed with pink quilts and white and blue pillows, and stuffed animals stacked up in a corner by her large glass window.
"EEEKKK IS THIS ALL FOR ME?!" She cried.
"It is YOUR room." Astro said. "Orrin and I were making tons of calls last night to furniture stores after you fell asleep last night."
"Had everything delivered this morning after I dropped you both off at school. So I guess you can say I was pretty busy painting and getting everything set up. We needed to get you your own room." Orrin said.
Zoran just couldn't help but continue to smile. She was now speechless!
She had her own TV and her own bathroom too. She turned around and ran towards her brother and Orrin. She gave them a big hug. "Thank you so much!" she shouted.
"You're welcome; you know you should also thank Dad too. It's his credit card we used to pay for all this." Astro said.
"I shall call him right now!" Zoran quickly ran off into the living room and took Astro's phone along with her.
"Zoran Dad is probably busy with work you should wait till later!" Astro yelled.
"Dad can't be too busy for me!"
She stopped in the living room and hopped on one of the couches. She scrolled down Astro contacts and clicked on DAD. She waited patiently until someone picked up.
"Hello?"A woman answered.
"Uh Hi…Dad is that you?"
"No Bill's not here right now, who is this I'm speaking to?"
"His daughter Zoran that's who."
"Oh so you must be Zoran! Your Dad's been talking about you all day, your brother too."
"That's nice, but wait who are you?"
"I'm your Dad's uh, co-worker. I work with your Dad. I believe I met your brother before though."
"Oh. Well hold on a minute why do you have my Dad's phone? You crook!"
"Oh no I'm just holding onto it for him. You Dad is in a meeting and he didn't want any disturbances."
"Oh. Well could you tell him that I said thank you for my new room please?"
"Sure sweetie I will."
"Ok, thank you!"
"Alright then, bye dear."
"Bye!"
'CLICK'
Astro walked into the room. "So did you talk to Dad?"
"Nope, one of his co-workers, but she said she'll tell daddy for me. He's in a meeting right now."
"Well alright. Common Zoran you got homework to do!"
"Aw but I don't want to!" she pouted.
"Sorry but it's a part of school life."
Zoran rolled her eyes and followed her brother back to her room.
As night fell, Astro had tucked Zoran in for bed in her new room and he then waited patiently for his father to come home. About an hour went by since Astro had last tried to call him and he was starting to get a tad bit annoyed. He looked to the clock.
9:43 PM
Dad…WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? He thought to himself.
He was about to try to call him again when his father suddenly came in through the door.
Astro jumped off the couch and walked over to him. "Well look who's here." He said sarcastically.
Tenma sighed. "Astro I am tired, I don't need a little attitude from you now." He said wearily.
"Well yeah you should be tired, since when do you come home at a quarter to 10:00 PM?"
His Dad didn't respond.
Astro could only shake his head, when suddenly…a peculiar scent hit him. He got closer to his dad and started sniffing him.
Dr. Tenma raised a questioning brow at him. "Uh, what are you doing son?" he asked.
Astro backed away from him and looked up to him in confusion. "Dad, why do you smell like perfume?"
Dr. Tenma froze.
Astro remained staring at him and raised his eyebrows to him.
Dr. Tenma cleared his throat. "I was, uh, getting hugged by many people at work including female."
Astro narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
"I've told everyone about Zoran. They were congratulation hugs."
"That smells like the perfume Dr. Hanna always wears…that lady who works in the robotics department with you?"
"Yes well she gave me hug as well, son."
Astro looked back at the clock. "She must have hugged you long for the sent to still be on your clothe-"
"Astro I'm exhausted I think I'm just going to head off to bed ok? No more questions." He patted his son on the head. "Go to bed it's late you have school tomorrow." His father then just walked out the room and proceeded into his bedroom not looking back.
Astro was left dumbfounded in the living room. He didn't know what to think, but he did know one thing, he was getting a bit tired. The human side of human was letting him know that. He decided to just leave the situation and go to bed. He turned the light off in the living room and went to bed.
Astro was sleeping softly as well as his father. Orrin was peacefully snoring away as he was charging up. But there was one member of the household that wasn't sleeping so peacefully. Zoran.
Zoran was twisting and turning in her bed. Her head was producing a liquid from her head, to represent her sweating. She was groaning in her sleep. She was having a nightmare.
-Zoran's Nightmare-
She was able to see everything…
FLASH
A White lab
FLASH
A Robotic Skeleton
FLASH
…Aliens surrounding it
FLASH
A computer creating its human like appearance
FLASH
She awakens
FLASH
Outside…a war…between alien and machine
FLASH
Her planet was dying
FLASH
She tried to escape
FLASH
Alien weapons being fired, killing and destroying
FLASH
It grabbed her
FLASH
It flew away with her in hand
FLASH
Her planet exploded
FLASH
Hurdling towards a distant galaxy
FLASH
They crashed
FLASH
Zoran…was gone…but was soon awakened…by her brother
-Zoran's Nightmare Ends-
Zoran woke up in fright. Her eyes severely dilated.
A/N: Oh yeah! I'm Evil! With a capital E!