Chapter 2

The Lab

Point of View: Sora

Written by: Lyphe

I stormed into the laboratory in the basement, my face still flushed with embarrassment. Rejected...again. She was the fifth one today... Well, that wasn't my worst. My record is being turned down seven times in one day. So why do I find pride in this humiliation? Well, I suppose I have to find something to brag about, despite how sad it is. Women today just aren't interested in an intelligent scientist...

I walked leisurely over to an old wooden rack, easily lifting a clean white coat and slipping into it. It felt cool, the material gently sliding on, brushing against my flesh. It was perhaps the brightest thing in this gloomy underground place.

I looked around my dark laboratory. Cobwebs hung in the corners, and chemicals of all sorts were contained in different shaped graduated cylinders of many sorts, all sitting on a dusty desk. There were no windows in the large prism, so the only light came from an aged, slightly cracked old lamp. Three pairs of lab coats hung on a coat rack, one for me, one for Riku, when he seldom decides to join me, and an extra in case I spill something over my own. Tubes and plastic masks were thrown about carelessly on the side of an ancient sink which looked like it could have come from the early nineteen-hundreds or something...

It was silent. I found no entertainment in music, the sort of pop people of today find pleasing to listen to. The sound of success was music to my ears.

I walked over to my desk, my shoes sharply clicking against the cold cement floor, echoing clearly. Seating myself on the old chair, I blew away the thin sheet of dust that resided upon the desk. Yes, this certainly did give off the impression of a mad scientist's lab. Maybe this was the reason girls stayed away... I heard a sharp knock on the door. Mrs. Edo...

"Come in," I summoned her in, my tone carrying a slight hint of annoyance.

The timid little maid scurried in. She wore a rather old-fashioned little dress, black, and a frilly little white apron. Her black hair, strands of gray randomly mixed in, was tied tightly into a knot, and a little sort of bandana, white, of course, set on top. Black stockings and little shiny black shoes finished off her uniform. I sighed. Who else would it be? And besides, she usually came in around this time of the day to inform me of some new information she had just acquired, and her first instinct was to inform me of this absolutely boring news.

"What is it?" I grumbled slightly. This same routine had gone on for many years, and yet she never caught on that I really don't care about the events around me.

"I-I wanted to request an immensely large favor from the master," she replied, nervously.

I grinned, pleased at her use of my title. Of course I was the master. Just because I'm not popular doesn't mean I can't be rich with my own mansion, and a whole household full of faithful servants.

"What is this favor that you request of me?" I asked, turning my attention to some paperwork.

"Why, my sister! I've just heard horrible news that she and her husband perished in a car accident!"

"And I suppose you would like a day off to attend their funeral," I said rather coldly, not really caring.

"Yes, that too, but their daughter has been left parentless, and I am her only live relative, and I really can't let my own niece go homeless on the streets! So I plead for you to let her live with you for the time being."

An awkward moment passed between us, her holding her breath, hopeful, and me just scribbling down the rest of my formalities. It was a while till I decided to speak again.

"Sure, just keep her out of my studies."

I went back to my work, trying my best to block out the series of "Thank you"-s she kept exclaiming, which I found to be rather irritating. I was relieved when she finally decided to leave my laboratory. Finally, I could start working on my real project. Shoving the papers aside, I walked over to the other side of the room. The papers were merely a prop to busy me with when unwanted visitors came to visit, and to drive away suspicions of what I've been doing all day. So, being the genius that I am, I had made a high stack of papers, really just many copies of the same paper. Clever, yes? No one would ever dare go through my credentials or documents, or whatever they may suppose is within the stack.

I walked over the wall, pushing in the right square. Not even Riku knew about this project. The walls easily parted with a squeeze of smoke released on the ground, hiding my shoes in the fog. I walked in, the walls closing in again immediately after I entered. I looked around the room. Series of equipment loitered about, waiting for their turn in use. My real paperwork was stacked neatly in a pile on a newer, more modern desk. They contained my research and calculations of artificial intelligence. Lined up in containers around the room were women; not just ordinary women, though, the perfect women.

They were flawless, each individually perfect in every way imaginable. They had no fault, no aging, no wrinkles, nothing wrong. I had gotten this idea long ago within my wretched childhood. Riku and I had been playing video games. Suddenly he said, "Geesh, I wonder how they make the people look so real!" Our conversation continued to a point where I said, "...But they have no flaws..." And so forth, an ingenious idea was born.

I had locked myself away, blocked out the rest of this world, studying this new sort of human technology. I can see this use of my time did have an affect with my contact with women, but who really cares? I mean, would you rather a real woman, with countless errors and clumsiness, or the perfect angel who can do absolutely anything and everything? I admit, my previous attempts weren't all that successful... I've taken series of my accomplishments out on double dates with Riku, but they always seem to fail when I ask for a little casualness. They're always so stiff, that I believe Riku is beginning to suspect something is amiss.

But now, I've created perfection. I need not a real girl, but my newest artificial intelligence robot is full-proof. I've programmed her to be smart, incredibly successful in academics, skilled to be able to accomplish any task given to her, a sweet, though realistic personality and character, more flexibility, and better features with make her practically identical to the modern woman.

I've given her long chocolate hair, and matching dark eyes; lips tinted pink, and flesh tanned. She's absolutely everything I've ever wanted, far better than that wench that rejected me tonight. I've programmed her personality to be a lively young woman, and if my encoding was successful, she holds the ability to touch people's hearts. She is to be open and honest with her feelings and emotions, for I've inserted a series of sentiment chips when creating her, and has a tendency to speak her mind without concealing anything. A realistic girl needs some boldness in her characteristic, so I had decided on that. I've made her ambition driven, and slightly stubborn at times.

She is my masterpiece, not only is she perfect, but the average human cannot detect any signs of her being created! She is nothing like Project09, or Project12, or 27, or any of the others. I can't just simply call her by her number, 126; no she needs something special, something far more regal and lovely.

I strolled over to a large, thick, iron vault, and typed in my code. The large metal door swung open, smoke and gas emerging out, just like at the door. I looked upon the golden casket I had placed her in, her form appearing to sleep, eyes closed, enveloped in a tranquil dream, yet to awake. She was far more precious to me than anything I've ever had or known.

The ideal woman...

My hand shakily rose to the glass, gently stroking the chest I had created especially for her, while the others were in but simple glass cylinders.

Faultless...programmed for complete perfection...

I looked upon her delicate face. To think I had created her from scratch, years of hard work and research, and this as my prize.

And mine...

I looked at her, admiring my work, my hard work. I smirked as I put her away again.

I call her Rinoa.

Author's Notes: Ohmigosh, I am soo sorry I haven't written this in soo long! I've been so busy, and since school is finally over, I decided to get this off my to-do list. Sorry Amanda and anyone else who was waiting for this fiction to be updated! Whew...I'm finally done with that...