Hello my faithful readers! Well, I've got a new chapter up now, hurray! Hope you like it.

Teach me to dream

Chapter two~ Dreamland



Melfina sat in her bed, the covers huddled around her, making her look like a lost little girl. She peered out of her small square window into the night sky littered with stars.

A small sigh escaped her lips.

She pursed her lips as she thought of what Gene had told her only a few hours ago. Why weren't dreams a big deal? Maybe they weren't big for Gene but they were very important to Melfina.

Melfina recalled how she had read somewhere, a long time ago, an article about bio-androids from an anti-android company. The article had disturbed her great. Melfina scanned the words again over in her mind; though she read it long ago the article was burned in her mind, each word crystal clear.

"And though androids have great abilities and are very useful in the medical and scientific field, we don't believe there is a need for bio- androids. It is ridiculous that a scientist would try and pass a machine for a human. Humans, as everyone knows, have souls, and emotions, and dreams. We, the N.A.P.A.A.I. (national association of people against artificial intelligence) believe that these machine life forms could be potential dangerous and should all be destroyed immediately. And."

Melfina shuddered at the thought of being destroyed. She somehow knew, in the back of her memory files, that when they said destroyed they meant tortured. Experimented on.

Melfina shuddered again.

Melfina pondered what the woman had said; humans had souls, emotions and dreams.

'I have emotions.' Melfina thought pensively.

'I don't know about a soul.' She thought again.

'But..I can't dream..' she thought looking down at her hands in her lap.

A tear fell slowly down her cheek, falling with a plop onto her hand. Suddenly Melfina felt angry with herself.

Wiping her eyes with the back of her hands angrily she whispered fiercely, "I'm not going to cry. I'm not just a machine, not something useless. Gene and Jim and everyone, they all need me. And I'm not going to cry anymore!"

'But you are a machine. Just another computer used to find the way.' A voice inside her head told her.

"Maybe just once more." Melfina whispered sadly before sinking down into her bed, pressing her face against her pillow to muffle the sound, and cried.

************

"Gene Starwind!!!!"

"What, mom?" Gene grumbled.

"You shut up! I can't believe you!" Jim shouted, stomping over to where Gene lay on the couch, his face behind a magazine.

"What now?" Gene said stifling a yawn with his hand.

"You idiot! I can't believe you forgot!! You were supposed to meet that old man about those repairs nearly an hour ago!" Jim shouted.

"Oh yeah." Gene said suddenly remembering. " Well I hope he won't mind if I'm late."

With that said Gene grabbed his cape and strode out the door.

"You're such an ass sometimes Gene." Muttered Jim.

Running his hands through his long blonde bangs once, Jim ran to catch up to Gene.

************

"Melfina?" suzuka called serenely to the figure huddled in the corner of the kitchen.

"Suzuka? What's wrong?" Melfina asked looking concerned.

"I could ask you the same thing." Suzuka said smiling slightly.

"Oh." Melfina said, looking taken aback, "well. It's nothing really."

Suzuka slightly cocked her thin eyebrow at Melfina; it was obvious she was hiding something. But suzuka, being a solitary person decided not to pursue a topic, which Melfina obviously did not want to talk about. Instead she settled for getting some hot tea out of a small kettle on the stove, and sitting down in the corner to drink it; all the while watching Melfina intently.

Melfina kept shooting suzuka nervous glances. Finally Melfina came out of her seat in the corner and quietly muttered an excuse to a suspicious Suzuka, before leaving.

As she watched Melfina's small frame retreat up the stairs and into her room Suzuka shook her head and went back to her now lukewarm tea.

***************

"So what your saying old man is we need to help you fix something but you can't tell us what it is unless me agree. Right?" Gene asked slowly staring at the strange man in front of him.

The old man was one of the weirdest looking things he had ever seen. A large mop of gray hair with cool blue eyes half hidden by his long bangs. He was wearing what seemed to be a blue suit of sorts, with a very large watch on his wrist. The old mans eyes flickered with annoyance at Gene's insolent tone.

"Yes. But I will be willing to pay you." He replied tersely. "And the name's Benson." He smiled baring large even teeth, "Dr. Benson."

"How much." Jim challenged.

"Five thousand wong if you come, and an additional twenty thousand if you complete my job." Dr. Benson smiled his large smile.

"Do we have a deal?" he asked holding his hand out.

Gene smirked as he took the old man's hand.

"Sure Dr. Benson."

***********

"I can't believe that old man wouldn't tell us anything." Gene complained once they got home.

"Quit complaining." Jim snapped. "We need money. Now he said he needs someone really good with computers."

"Can I help?" Melfina asked leaning over Jim to peer at the directions to Dr. Bensons house.

"Well I-" Jim started.

"Sure Mel!" Gene interrupted with a wide grin.

Once melfina had turned to get something from the kitchen Jim turned to chew out his older friend but was cut off.

"I know," Gene whispered to Jim trying to be as discrete as possible, "but I think Mel hasn't had enough to do lately. It won't hurt for her to come along. Right? Maybe she really can help."

"Well," Jim said quietly, giving in as he remember Melfina's happy expression once she learned she could help, " I guess."

"Hey Mel!" Gene called into the kitchen.

"What?" came the muffled reply.

"We don't have much time so why don't you get you coat and we can get going. This guy lives pretty far away."

"Ok." Melfina said stepping out of the kitchen.

"See. She'll be fine." Gene whispered quietly to Jim.

"But-" Jim started but was once again interrupted by Melfina calling "ready!" from her room.

"Let's go then!" Gene said going out to the car purposefully ignoring Jim.

***********

"This is where he lives?" Melfina asked quietly.

Jim looked at the directions again then nodded yes.

Melfina looked wide-eyed at the extremely large house in front of her. It was easily one of the largest buildings she'd ever seen, even in the large city of Heifong.

It's tall steep roof and many windows seemed to be leering at melfina and she unconsciously took a step back.

"Come on. Let's get this over with." Jim muttered taking Melfina's hand and leading her toward the large decorative front door.

"Now how the hell do you knock on this door?" Gene thought out loud.

Melfina looked at the wall and saw a small button. She tilted her head and as if it was a reflex she reached out and pushed it.

A loud ringing filled the air. Jim and Gene looked at Melfina in surprise, and Melfina herself was surprised at her own daring.

The large door opened with a groan and a creak.

Gene cautiously stepped in first, Melfina next (safe in the middle), with Jim bringing up the rear.

"I'm glad you came." Said a voice.

Gene jumped slightly and turned around to face Dr. Benson.

"We wouldn't miss an opportunity like this." Gene smirked. "This is Melfina." He gestured toward her, "and you already know Jim."

Dr. Benson looked oddly at Melfina, but not in a perverted way Gene happily noted. Dr. Benson slowly circled Melfina, who looked quite worried. Finally he stopped in front of her and looked her straight into her brown eyes.

"You are not human." He stated simply.

Melfina took a step back and blushed. Then looked at her feet.

'Is it this obvious?' she thought trying to swallow the hot lump in her throat.

Gene and Jim and everyone constantly told her even if they were standing right next to her they couldn't tell she wasn't human. They said she looked as real as could be. It never occurred to Melfina until now that they could've been lying. Just trying to make her feel better.

Melfina tried not to cry at this horrible thought.

Dr. Benson, who was a lot faster than he looked, suddenly was behind Melfina. He reached out to touch the base of Melfina's neck with something very small.

"Gene.." Melfina whispered as she fell to the floor.

"What the hell did you do to her!?" Gene yelled.

Dr. Benson picked up Melfina and made his way to Gene. He roughly dropped Melfina into Gene's arms and said, "If you want to know, you've got to follow me."

Dr. Benson slowly walked down a hallway and disappeared out of Sight. Jim and Gene, with a limp Melfina still in his arms, had no choice but to cautiously follow him.



Well. That's it for now. Stay tuned to find out what the doctor wants and I'll bet you'll never guess what. Ok. Well I'll be going now. Review please. Reviews make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

Arigatou! Mandy~Chan