Chapter One: Download Complete

It was three hours now, and Suki was sitting on the couch watching television. A warm cup of hot chocolate held in her hands as she looked down into the brown steaming fluid. She twirling it around a little to watch it swish around. A part of her was being dragged further in her sorrow as she looked upwards towards that television, but it didn't seem to matter. Her eyes were looking through it all with a distant look glazing over her eyes. Why was she still sad? Why didn't she just stop being all doubting in this? She lifted her finger to trace the rim of the coffee mug that held the warm chocolate drink. How she wished Suki was here so she could speak with her about what she was doing. Though that was impossible now.

Her thoughts were drowning out the television now, and she no longer paid mind to the news report about the incident a few days ago. Supposedly the whole large accident was staged by somebody in the China Town slums here. Los Angeles wasn't going to be the same since the incident occurred. Such controversy already sprang up around the large truck crash into a large abandoned factory.

"People can be so stupid, no wonder why you isolate yourself from them Saori."

Eyes widening, and her head snapped around to look in the doorway. There was nothing there, but where had the voice come from? Pupils narrowed in her fright as she stood up fully. Backing up as she stood. Flicks of her raven hair dancing along her face as she tried to figure out who had said that. Already was her pulse racing in fear that someone had broken into the small apartment, and suddenly she began to calm herself down already. Sea green hues flickering to life with a sort of fear.

"Are they not idiotic?"

"W-who are you?" Saori at last managed to stammer to the voice that was there, but held no body to it.

"I am S..." Slowly the words faded off before they could continue on that. The new sound filling in as the words vanished. It was the sound of foot steps with heeled boots coming downstairs. Could Yuka be done downloading the program already?

A single brow rose as the blonde haired persocom walked into the doorway. She looking down to the coffee mug that was now on the floor. When had Saori dropped it? She never realized she had. She kneeling down to pick it up as she looked up towards Yuka who was now kneeling there placing a hand upon her own.

"Please let me pick it up Mistress." Yuka said, and slowly did the started girl whose hand the persocom have back away as she stood up once again. The gentleness had grown within the persocom's voice to such a friendly note. Part of it was yanking hard upon her heartstrings already as she just stepped away watching the computer pick up the piece of broken mug handle at first. "You seem so frightened Mistress, what is the matter?" Cerulean depths lifting to look towards Saori then.

"Nothing Yuka, just finish up cleaning. You're doing a nice job."

Yuka smiled to that, and Saori made a quick retreat elsewhere. What was wrong with her?! She leaned up against the wall, and slid down to the floor itself. Her arms wrapping about her legs as her face was buried into them. She couldn't handle the familiar gentleness within Yuka's voice nor the way she had touched her hand so tenderly. Yuka was a machine, and nothing more. So why was Saori feeling like she was dealing with a human? Body trembling within itself as she sat there remaining silent, and she knew that soon the persocom would walk into the room to ease her now troubled mind.

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Yuka picked up the pieces, and soon pulled out the clothe rag. She was already wondering what was wrong with her mistress. Part of her was telling her she was the source of her mistress's pain now, and suddenly that made her sad. The want to ease her mistress's pain coming over her and great waves as Suki would. Now that she was Saori's old friend in an odd sense she figured her creator was now uneasy with her. Slowly standing up, with the pieces in her hands wrapped within that moistened rag, she headed for the kitchen to take care of the remnants of the mess. Unfolding the pieces of ceramic mug into the trash can as she turned around to place rag into the pin of dirty rags that was seated below the kitchen sink.

The world was a sad place around Yuka, and she now having a sort of personality within her made things more awkward for her. Now their sadness was affecting her emotions, or what could be called emotions. When it came down to it, Yuka knew she was nothing more then a creation made of software, and hardware. She was nothing more then a machine, and her personality and emotions were no more then installed programs by her mistress to help ease her through her pains. She though silently vowed to herself that she would aid her mistress in easing all her pain that the world was now giving her. Yuka would make sure mistress was happy, and make sure she never hurt again.

Though how was a machine to show someone living friendship? Especially when the creator knew that she was no more then a machine in the end of all things?

A heavy sigh passed her lips as Yuka sat there. Her hands resting at her side as the bell shaped sleeves draped down to conceal the hands within lace and black silk folds. Locks of blonde hair dancing past her face to slide along as they revealed the cat like ears made of metal components. It was the constant single reminder of what she was, and that she could never complete her mistress's need for friendship and happiness, but did she not also need to complete the reasons for why she was programmed with such devices?

Slowly she moved to walk out to the living room area to see that Saori was now once more on the couch. Sitting there curling up within herself in the need of comfort. Yuka could only stand there though as uneasiness in what she should do flooded over her. Now all she could wish to do was give her mistress happiness, but how would she do that when she would not allow her to do as much. Walking over towards her Yuka rested her hand on her mistress's shoulder, and kneeling down to look level to the hurting girl.

"Go away..."

Eyes widened at the words, and a powerful sting ran through her. Yuka wanted to help and now she was being rejected. This rejection hurt more unlike it used to.

"Your no more then a machine. When it comes down to it, only your programming is acting and not a real person. Your emotions are no more then software that is programmed to react to me in certain situations because you can not without such programming. Nothing more then a machine, you shall never be Suki."

She couldn't believe this. Yuka was not used to rejection, or the pain that it brought. Her eyes showing sadness, but they could not produce any tears to show to him. Those cerulean hues closing then to hide the pain filled depths as she stood up fully. A slow nod of her head given as the single three syllable line was issued, "As you wish." Then she turned around, and left the room. The door to the house opening to herald her departure from the place.

Mistress...can I not make you happy?

Eyes lifting to the sky as she stood there. Her black silk skirts fluttering along the wind alongside locks of her blonde hair. Soon she walked down the pathway from the building to escape what was happening. She needed to find a retreat, and her mind only told her of one place from the programming set within her mind.

If I can not make you happy, then I am of no use, and neither is my programming is it?