Androids 05
17 stood in the grassy clearing and watched the children play. They chased each other around in circles, apparently ignoring him.
"Hey, where is this place. Answer me. Where are we? Who are you?"
Still the children pranced about the meadow. He reached angrily to stop a young blonde girl but she passed right through him.
What is this? Am I dreaming? It seems so real.
He took a closer look at the children. There were three of them, two girls and a boy. The youngest girl had long wild hair the color of ripe plums. The other two children appeared to be about the same age. The girl had long blonde hair and the boy had short dark hair. He could not place a finger on it but they seemed familiar, like he had seen them before somewhere.
For lack of anything better to do he followed them into the woods.
"Savahn, Savahn slow down. You know I can't run that fast."
"What's the matter Nix, can't you keep up?" teased Savahn.
"It's not fair, you have longer legs." Nix apparently tired of the game flopped down on the blanket next to Adrian, who was setting out their picnic basket. "Adrian, tell him it isn't fair."
"Oh quit pouting. You were having just as much fun as he was."
"Humph." The child crossed her arms and pretended to pout.
"Quit pouting and have something to eat." Adrian handed Nix a sandwich and some chips. At the mention of food Savahn came over and sat down cross legged next to Nix.
"Don't be cross, Kid. You should lighten up a little."
In no time the three children had devoured all the food in the basket.
"Hm, that was good. Too bad we can't do this more often," Adrian smiled at her brother and friend.
"Yeah," pouted Nix.
Adrian just smiled and leaned back, her head resting on her arms. The warm sun soaked through her, making her sleepy. She could hear Nix and Savahn playing again, but they sounded far away and distant.
Savahn had climbed up into a tree and Nix was trying to coax him down. He grinned and settled in, knowing she could not climb up after him. He took a handmade reed flute out of his pocket and began to play.
On the ground Nix laughed in delight as she began to dance to the hauntingly sweet melody that he produced. Her small bare feet seemed to glide over the grass and her hair and skirt twirled about her. Her sweet voice joined the flute as she sang the words in perfect time with her feet.
If only this could last forever. If only he, his sister and his best friend could stay out here, but he knew they would come and take them away again. If only.
The haunting melody continued to float about the woods as they were gradually lost to the mists of wakefulness.
17 awakened lethargically for the first time that he could remember. A strange but familiar melody still playing in his head.
In his half conscious thoughts he knew there was something urgent he needed to tend to, but he could not remember, could not make himself wake fully.
He opened his eyes and lazily gazed about him, he realized with half registered surprise that he was not on the couch in his living room. He sat up suddenly, trying to recall how he got here.
The small blue room was sparsely decorated. The only furniture was the bed he occupied and a small bedside table.
Folded on the table was a pair of black jeans and a powder blue shirt. Standing neatly next to the table was a pair of sleek black boots that were obviously designed for combat purposes, though they hardly looked military.
Military.robots.18!
17 leapt from the bed and threw on the clothes. He had to find her. He dashed out the unlocked door, and into one of the most complex laboratories he had ever seen. Even Doctor Gero's lab would not have compared.
Sophisticated machinery lined every inch of the walls. Various types of equipment hung suspended from the ceiling, ready for use. One corner of the lab was taken up by a huge computer storage bank.
Stretched out on a table in the center of the room, was Android 16. Fifteen to twenty small robots buzzed about the table, some flying on suspension rockets, others suspended from the ceiling by cords or robotic arms.
17 dashed over to his compatriot. 16's main system was offline, but his backup system seemed to be operating perfectly. He was still functioning.
The little 'bots floated about and 17 realized they were repairing 16's systems and damage.
He tried to get their attention but they just worked around them. He tried to interfere with their work but they just bypassed him or moved to something else.
"Where am I?" he demanded, hoping perhaps they would respond to vocal commands.
"They ain't really smart enough to answer you. They're programmed to do their job, but not much else. You won't get no answer out of them."
17 whirled around to find himself staring at a fat sloppy security guard. He was in his late thirties or early forties and looked as if he might have been fit once. A prize fighter or lifter who did not quite realize he was a has-been. His graying brown hair looked like it had not been combed in weeks and his clothes looked slept in.
"Then I will have to get one from you."
"What makes you think you can?" bellowed the man; his nametag read 'Simpson'. Simpson crossed his arms; apparently he felt the slender Android 17 was no threat to him.
17 hated overconfident old men. He hoped he would get an excuse to smash this guy up. He knew he could easily take this guy out and decided not to waste his time but get straight to the point.
"Where am I?"
"Doctor Morisson's lab."
"Tell me how to get out of here."
Underneath his façade 17 was shocked. Doc Morisson was one of the Red Ribbon Army's top scientists. He and Doctor Gero had been contemporaries, sometimes working together sometimes in competition. 17 vaguely remembered that Morisson had helped Gero in making the androids in their early stages. He did not want anything more to do with Red Ribbon or their crazy doctor.
"You don't."
Simpson let out a short laugh and launched himself at 17. Apparently he felt the need to physically restrain 17. Probably more from the desire to dominate someone smaller than anything else. He was just a bully.
17 allowed the attack to slip past his guard, doubling over from the 'force' of a blow that he barely felt. He was going to enjoy the shock on this jerk's face when he took him apart.
He leered in 17's face, "You ain't going nowhere until Doctor Morisson says you can."
"I'll go where I please, when I please. I don't ask permission from any man."
"Oh, yeah, punk, well I."
"Mr. Simpson. The gentleman is our guest. He is free to leave when he chooses. I certainly never told you to restrain him," interrupted a female voice.
17 stared at the speaker in shock. The girl was a little older, but it was definitely the girl from his dream.
"Nix?"
17 stood in the grassy clearing and watched the children play. They chased each other around in circles, apparently ignoring him.
"Hey, where is this place. Answer me. Where are we? Who are you?"
Still the children pranced about the meadow. He reached angrily to stop a young blonde girl but she passed right through him.
What is this? Am I dreaming? It seems so real.
He took a closer look at the children. There were three of them, two girls and a boy. The youngest girl had long wild hair the color of ripe plums. The other two children appeared to be about the same age. The girl had long blonde hair and the boy had short dark hair. He could not place a finger on it but they seemed familiar, like he had seen them before somewhere.
For lack of anything better to do he followed them into the woods.
"Savahn, Savahn slow down. You know I can't run that fast."
"What's the matter Nix, can't you keep up?" teased Savahn.
"It's not fair, you have longer legs." Nix apparently tired of the game flopped down on the blanket next to Adrian, who was setting out their picnic basket. "Adrian, tell him it isn't fair."
"Oh quit pouting. You were having just as much fun as he was."
"Humph." The child crossed her arms and pretended to pout.
"Quit pouting and have something to eat." Adrian handed Nix a sandwich and some chips. At the mention of food Savahn came over and sat down cross legged next to Nix.
"Don't be cross, Kid. You should lighten up a little."
In no time the three children had devoured all the food in the basket.
"Hm, that was good. Too bad we can't do this more often," Adrian smiled at her brother and friend.
"Yeah," pouted Nix.
Adrian just smiled and leaned back, her head resting on her arms. The warm sun soaked through her, making her sleepy. She could hear Nix and Savahn playing again, but they sounded far away and distant.
Savahn had climbed up into a tree and Nix was trying to coax him down. He grinned and settled in, knowing she could not climb up after him. He took a handmade reed flute out of his pocket and began to play.
On the ground Nix laughed in delight as she began to dance to the hauntingly sweet melody that he produced. Her small bare feet seemed to glide over the grass and her hair and skirt twirled about her. Her sweet voice joined the flute as she sang the words in perfect time with her feet.
If only this could last forever. If only he, his sister and his best friend could stay out here, but he knew they would come and take them away again. If only.
The haunting melody continued to float about the woods as they were gradually lost to the mists of wakefulness.
17 awakened lethargically for the first time that he could remember. A strange but familiar melody still playing in his head.
In his half conscious thoughts he knew there was something urgent he needed to tend to, but he could not remember, could not make himself wake fully.
He opened his eyes and lazily gazed about him, he realized with half registered surprise that he was not on the couch in his living room. He sat up suddenly, trying to recall how he got here.
The small blue room was sparsely decorated. The only furniture was the bed he occupied and a small bedside table.
Folded on the table was a pair of black jeans and a powder blue shirt. Standing neatly next to the table was a pair of sleek black boots that were obviously designed for combat purposes, though they hardly looked military.
Military.robots.18!
17 leapt from the bed and threw on the clothes. He had to find her. He dashed out the unlocked door, and into one of the most complex laboratories he had ever seen. Even Doctor Gero's lab would not have compared.
Sophisticated machinery lined every inch of the walls. Various types of equipment hung suspended from the ceiling, ready for use. One corner of the lab was taken up by a huge computer storage bank.
Stretched out on a table in the center of the room, was Android 16. Fifteen to twenty small robots buzzed about the table, some flying on suspension rockets, others suspended from the ceiling by cords or robotic arms.
17 dashed over to his compatriot. 16's main system was offline, but his backup system seemed to be operating perfectly. He was still functioning.
The little 'bots floated about and 17 realized they were repairing 16's systems and damage.
He tried to get their attention but they just worked around them. He tried to interfere with their work but they just bypassed him or moved to something else.
"Where am I?" he demanded, hoping perhaps they would respond to vocal commands.
"They ain't really smart enough to answer you. They're programmed to do their job, but not much else. You won't get no answer out of them."
17 whirled around to find himself staring at a fat sloppy security guard. He was in his late thirties or early forties and looked as if he might have been fit once. A prize fighter or lifter who did not quite realize he was a has-been. His graying brown hair looked like it had not been combed in weeks and his clothes looked slept in.
"Then I will have to get one from you."
"What makes you think you can?" bellowed the man; his nametag read 'Simpson'. Simpson crossed his arms; apparently he felt the slender Android 17 was no threat to him.
17 hated overconfident old men. He hoped he would get an excuse to smash this guy up. He knew he could easily take this guy out and decided not to waste his time but get straight to the point.
"Where am I?"
"Doctor Morisson's lab."
"Tell me how to get out of here."
Underneath his façade 17 was shocked. Doc Morisson was one of the Red Ribbon Army's top scientists. He and Doctor Gero had been contemporaries, sometimes working together sometimes in competition. 17 vaguely remembered that Morisson had helped Gero in making the androids in their early stages. He did not want anything more to do with Red Ribbon or their crazy doctor.
"You don't."
Simpson let out a short laugh and launched himself at 17. Apparently he felt the need to physically restrain 17. Probably more from the desire to dominate someone smaller than anything else. He was just a bully.
17 allowed the attack to slip past his guard, doubling over from the 'force' of a blow that he barely felt. He was going to enjoy the shock on this jerk's face when he took him apart.
He leered in 17's face, "You ain't going nowhere until Doctor Morisson says you can."
"I'll go where I please, when I please. I don't ask permission from any man."
"Oh, yeah, punk, well I."
"Mr. Simpson. The gentleman is our guest. He is free to leave when he chooses. I certainly never told you to restrain him," interrupted a female voice.
17 stared at the speaker in shock. The girl was a little older, but it was definitely the girl from his dream.
"Nix?"