Disclaimer: See Chapter 1...
To my reviewers, Turtle Lady & whisperxinxthexdark... Thanks for checking out my story & sorry for confusing you then making you wait so long for an update.
Chobits: Lost and Found
by Artision2001
Chapter 2: Surprise Visitor!
I'm no techno-geek but I get by, you can call the computer gear I have a curious hobby of sorts. I like to tinker if you will, in my spare time. So far I've managed to set up an antiquated system to access the 'net, but I never caught the persocom bug like so many others have...
Now that I came across such a lucky find, I suppose I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. I know enough about classic computers that I feel somewhat confident in my skills that I might be able to get this cute 'com up and running. My computer reference library seems up to date and I do have some that are pretty well versed in the care and maintenance of persocoms...
I've checked the charger status and it reads green, meaning that the 'com has a basic charge for a standard boot and operating. All that's left is to press the on switch in the EAR section. I turn my attention away from what I'm doing and call out to Shelby, "All right, hold onto yer fuzzy butt..." Shelby just gives me a sleepy look and yawns as he's lying in his bed. I press the power button and... nothing happens. Okay, I think to myself, this is going to be a little more challenging then I originally thought.
###
Oh- man... this is one tough cookie to crack. Four long hours, and counting, to troubleshoot what was supposed to be a simple 'com boot-up. The books are no help, the 'net is no help and Shelby is no help! To top it off the 'com is a custom job, no manufacture brand name and no serial number. Zip, zilch, nada...
Grrrrr, I scrub my head in frustration and massage my throbbing temples. My 'lab' is a mess with discarded books and wire cabling is everywhere, fat lot of good all that stuff does me. I can't even use my notebook to access the 'com because it, at least, has to boot-up...
I start having a wild fancy that I'm a mad doctor trying to bring his creature to life. I picture myself as a raving loon in mad scientist garb, machines are whirling, electrical sparks are dancing up jacob ladders and plasma globes are pulsing. Before me the 'com is strapped to an operating table. Behind me, Shelby -similarly garbed- works the control levels and switches at my command. They all think I'm mad, yes I'm mad -okay, maybe just a little upset...
I laugh out loud at the daydream. "Give my 'com life!" I say to the room. Heh, Shelby just yawns loudly and rolls over.
Just as I'm coming down from the tail end of the stress relieving wild fancy, comes a light tapping at my apartment door. Who could that be after the witching hour no doubt. I scramble to check my SAR beeper and cell as I make my way to the door.
I open the door to greet the late night caller. My greeting never gets out, as my jaw drops. The double of the 'com I've been trying to boot-up stands before me dressed in a frilly white petticoat covered light pastel blue overcoat number.
"Ah..." Is all I can manage.
"Good evening," She says sweetly, "Please pardon Chi's late intrusion, Mr. Greggory Thompson." The extremely cute doppelganger bows politely towards me.
"Ab-Baa," is all I manage as she clasps her hands before her, amber eyes innocently wide.
"Ah," my brain finally engages, "Greg is fine..."
"Greg!" The 'com points her hand right at me, "This person is Greg, Chi remembers."
"Have we met before, Miss..?" I'm still a little confused
"Chi," she replies, while shaking her head to answer no.
"Chi..? Oh- that's your name?"
"Chi is Chi, because Hideki named Chi."
Whoa, "And Hideki is..?"
The 'com gets this look on her face as she brings up her hands to lightly cover her heart, "Hideki is Chi's dake no hito."
Before I can ask, Chi chirps, "Doggy!" And points at Shelby, as he walks up beside me and does a head low front paws stretch -now curious about our new guest.
"Ah, Shelby it's okay." I run him through the basic sit, shake, speak routine -which Chi matches move for move.
"Chi is pleased to meet Shelby," Chi chirps as she shakes Shelby's paw. Weird persocom, cute but weird- I think as we get all introduced...
"Please, come in. Welcome to our humble home, Chi."
Chi nods her head as she takes off her double latched light pastel shoes leaving them in the entryway, follows me and Shelby into the 'living room' and sits on her legs akimbo on the floor across from me and Shelby. "So, what can we do for you, Chi?"
"No, what can Chi do for Greg and Shelby..?"
"Ah- okay, what can Chi -uh- you do for us?"
Chi points to her twin on the 'lab' floor, "Chi can help Greg and Shelby with onee-chan…"
"Your sister, oh yeah -the family resemblance is rather striking..." I consider out loud.
"Chi?" Chirps Chi, as gives me an inquisitive innocent look.
"Oh- boy."
###
I take a breath. "Okay, Chi, just so I get this right...
[ the writer interrupts the exposition for the following plug go buy & read Chobits it's a really great series by CLAMP if yer looking for spoilers go to the nearest auto parts store, they have a smashing collection -I thank you. Now back to the story already in progress. ]
...did I miss anything, Chi..?"
"Chi!" She gives me that look again. "Chi found Greg and Shelby after Greg searched 'net about onee-chan. Chi found out more about Greg and Shelby on Greg's K9 SAR 'net site Blog. Chi knows how to wake onee-chan. Chi needs to talk to onee-chan."
"Okay- woof," I exhale. "How can that all help, I've tried everything by the books, and the 'net. Its like her EAR power switch doesn't work."
"Chi!" She chirps, "Chi and onee-chan have another switch."
"What? Where!?! I only found the EAR switch."
"Hum-m, Chi and onee-chan have another switch, here." Chi points to the area where her sister's alternate power switch is located.
"Ah!" I start, "Chi, you're gotta be shitting me." I deadpan.
"Chi, shitting Greg not..." She says matter of fact.
###
"Are you sure you what to do this now and not come back tomorrow, Chi?" I ask.
"Chi, it is tomorrow." Chirps Chi as she opens her EAR and pulls out a linking cable, "Chi won't take long."
"Arg- fuzzy logic, I can't argue with that." I clear out a space for Chi by her sister's head. Chi opens her sisters EAR then connects the linking cable. I continue to clear away the unnecessary cables, gear and books. Then I get an idea, "Chi is it okay if I monitor with my notebook? Its just a persocom maintenance program," linking cable at the ready.
"Chi!" Chirps Chi as she nods her answer. Chi watches patiently as I plug my notebook linking cable into her sister's EAR connection. When I set back down, within easy reach of the secondary switch and finally plug in the notebook's earpiece into my ear. Chi nods that she's ready for me to press her sister's secondary power switch.
Okay, I'm no prude but come on... I look back and forth between Chi and her sister as I reach toward the goal of -I freeze, looking at my hand just centimeters away from -it's just a switch- I look back at Chi in askance.
"That is the only way onee-chan will wake up," Claims Chi.
Ah, damn the torpedoes... I think as I hear the audible click of the secondary power switch. The thing that happens next causes me to utter a few choice colorful metaphors. The 'com's boot cycle, apparently, involves swinging her legs around and raising to her knees. This action knocks me north, almost into Shelby and my notebook south.
I collect myself, then reclaim the wayward somewhat rugged notebook. After a quick once over by checking the 'com interface maintenance program and replacing the earpiece I observe the two sisters while they communicate as no human can.
The monitoring program follows the boot process only momentarily then errors out -what the hell- and is closed by an external source -WTF!! I glance from the notebook to the sisters and try to restart the program as the desktop screen fades black.
I look back to the sisters, drawn to the increasing sound of their interfacing boot sequence. I cannot believe what I see nor recall in any of my reference material in which a persocoms' boot sequence involved levitation...
I'm hypnotized by their graceful movements, as their palms meet. Their long white hair flows about them both and glimmers with radiant energy. I hear Chi call to her sister over the notebook's earpiece. The spell momentarily broken I glance to the notebook's display and witness a duplicate image of the sisters on what I thought was a dead screen.
"Onee-chan," I hear Chi cry out to her sister, over the notebook earpiece again. "Chi has missed onee-chan…" As Chi hugs her sister.
Chi's sister seems confused, then looks from Chi then to me. A chill runs up my spine as her amber eyes meet mine for the first time. Her motions, not quite in sync and her face seems as a neutral mask.
"Chi, what have you done..?" Chi's sister asks, her tone as flat as her facial expression. Before Chi can reply to her, her sister reaches up, furrows her eyebrows as she states, "Unauthorized user." Time seems to stand still as she quickly pulls out the notebook linking cable. Her hand flares with a static charge that turns the linking cable into a mad whipping thing. The linking cable port on the notebook pops which sends the notebook and shrieking earpiece spinning across the room.
Shelby's alarmed growl brings me out of my best deer in the headlights imitation as I automatically grab for his collar. I try my best to keep us both calm as the sisters continue to converse between their now private lan connection.
I can only guess what the two sisters are discussing as Shelby and I look on, we're the proverbial flies on the wall. It seems as if Chi is pleading with her still neutral sister. The longer this goes on the more intensely their hair flows and glimmers around them. A gust of air pulls several sheets of paper to twist and twirl around the two sisters, then scatter about the room.
I'm not sure if Chi was able to sway her sister, but Chi smiled as she gave her sister a hug that caused them to spin slowly while they embraced. Luckily I looked away to offer some privacy because halfway through the spin both sisters' glowing hair increased to envelope them in a bright sphere of light. So quickly the blinding light spooked Shelby so bad that I almost lost my grip on his collar as I try to calm his startled barks.
After a small puff of air breezed through the room, it became quiet. I knuckled away tears from my eyes as my vision returns. Both sisters stand before Shelby and I. Both give me that same amber-eyed look as before. My mind echoes the 'Unauthorized user!' statement. "Ah, please forgive me. I only wished to monitor your boot-up cycle. I didn't know it would intrude on your personal lan." I feel like a gibbering idiot as I say this and lower my head.
"Chi?" Chirps Chi, "See onee-chan Greg is a good person."
Wha- I look up, I'm pretty sure my cheeks are still red. Chi's sister is, how do I put it, un-Chi-like?! The two sisters exchange glances -data exchange maybe? Chi frowns then retrieves her linking cable. Both seem to work in sync with the other as they secure their EARs, approach and finally sit with their legs akimbo just across from Shelby and I.
"Hello, my designation is Freya, Master Greggory Thompson and Shelby. What are your instructions..?"
"Gah! " What th- my brain derails. My mouth is good for catching flies.
"Onee-chan..." Is all Chi can manage, she seems to be very unhappy.
"Instruction?" I say. "Okay first Freya please refer to me as just Greg and as for now we'll leave the instructions open, okay?"
"Understood Master Just Greg..."
"Arg, fuzzy logic!" I grumble as I dope slap my forehead.
"Chi?" Chirps Chi...
"No Freya, please refer to me," I point to my self, "as Greg."
"Greg is Greg, Chi remembers -see onee-chan." That's simple enough, I think to myself.
"Understood, Greg is Greg and for now your instructions will be left open."
"Great," is it me or do I have a reason for this throbbing vein to the side of my forehead..?
###
That was all pretty interesting in an awkward kind of way. With Freya's start-up complete, I give Chi my phone numbers and email address to give to Hideki and Ms. Hibiya. Chi hugs her sister, then asks if it's all right to hug me and Shelby, which I tell her it's okay.
Now as if my day wasn't already topped, Chi quickly explains that she must leave now to beat Hideki home. Apparently he's due home from work soon and Chi doesn't want Hideki to worry. Chi trots out to the porch and hops light pole to light pole out of sight. Heh, Some peoples persocoms...
I sit down and take a few good minutes to think what to do about my current situation. Shelby sits down next to me, then distracts my train of though by licking my ear. -Gah! I look up as I hear Freya step on one of the several sheets of paper scattered about the floor.
"Um, I guess we should kinda clean up before the last evening walk, huh, Shelby?" I get up and pick up papers in my path to the broom that's kept in the storage closet. Freya watches my progress then starts to gracefully gather papers that lay about her. Shelby circles around us once, then walks over to the entryway and groans with impatience at the clean up progress that is keeping him from his last evening walkies.
I make quick work of the mess by just sweeping everything into the 'lab' area and leave the broom standing against the desktop. That'll do for now, besides, I'll just clean it all proper later. I collect the papers that Freya picked up with a quick 'thank you' and place them and the notebook turned paperweight on the desktop. While there I retrieve my small infopak bundle from the desk drawer.
I walk over to Freya and hold the bundle out to her. "We're kinda on a tight schedule," I nod toward Shelby, who is whining impatiently, "In this bundle is all my contact information, codes and forwarding numbers -beeper and cell. If anyone calls concerning K9 SAR, that's as in search and rescue, please contact me immediately."
Freya nods in understanding as I walk over to a hopping crazy dog in the entryway. I look back to Freya, "Oh, if any telemarketers call tell them hell no I don't want to switch long distance service and to take my info off their listings..." I say jokingly, while hooking up Shelby's backpack and load it with his ball and Frisbee then my beeper and cell phone. Last I don sneaks, "We'll be going now..." Freya looks from us as Shelby and I leave her to the infopak I left her holding.
That was all warm and friendly, I think as Shelby and I walk to the park for our last outing of the evening. I start thinking more about the events of the day that lead up to the new edition to the family. I really didn't know that persocoms might consider relations to one another. For twins, Chi and Freya seem to be opposites. Chi is so emotive, in a bubbly cute way. Freya is cute but seems to be kinda I can't put my finger on it...
A well placed head butt to my leg brings me back to what I'm supposed to be doing. I guess I did the walk to the park on autopilot. Shelby tries to let me know that it's time to play. I get the frisbee out and play keep away from the barking blue eyed monster dog. Man, does he jump high. I rub the frisbee against the hair on the back of my head then let the disk fly. Heh, let the games begin...
###
Back in the apartment, Freya replaces the infopak in the desktop drawer then hears a familiar white noise. She closes her eyes and answers Chi's call. In the personal lan space that only the two sisters can meet and talk, Chi appears before Freya. "Onee-chan... Chi only wants to help onee-chan as onee-chan helped Chi." Pleads Chi as she comes closer to her sister. "Onee-chan doesn't have to be this way..."
"I know Chi, but it's for the better. I have to go now, but I'll call on you soon. Please, don't worry and take care of Hideki." Freya doesn't give Chi a chance to reply as she opens her eyes and disconnects from Chi. Stooping down and balancing on the balls of her feet, Freya begins to collect the papers that are not so neatly about the 'lab' floor...
###
"Hey Freya, we're back..." I say after I close the door behind Shelby and me.
"Welcome home, Greg and Shelby." Says Freya as she bows politely while I slip out of my shoes and put up Shelby's backpack. That was almost lukewarm, I think to myself. Shelby cares for nothing but a drink of water and to curl up on his bed. Not a bad idea...
I head for the storage closet to retrieve my futon and assorted bedding materials. I notice the 'labs' clean condition. "Hey Freya, thanks for taking care of the 'lab' mess." I say while tossing down the bedding. "You didn't have too, I would have taken care of it when Shelby and I came back..."
"It was no trouble, Greg." Freya says as her hands worry a part of frill on the front of her dress.
"Yes it was, I really appreciate what you did." I say over my shoulder, then I follow her amber eyes, which are fixed on the futon. I turn around from what I'm doing, sit down cross-legged and pat on the floor in front of me. Freya quietly approaches and sits akimbo, as I consider how to broach the coming subject.
Here goes, "Freya, I'm pretty sure I can understand your dilemma. Here you are in a new place and you're not sure of what your choices are..." I stop her before she can reply. "Now just hear me out, I don't own Shelby, I take care of training him and we work very hard to help others through our partnership in search and rescue.
"I want you to know you have choices in what you say and do here with us. That said it seems that your next choice has to do with your stand-by mode. From what I understand you could avoid it altogether, sit up and only gain half the benefit or lay down for the full benefit. Before you decide, know this, I wouldn't bring you here Freya if I wasn't willing to share our home with you." Okay, that wasn't to embarrassing or direct...
I watch as Freya considers what I just said and hear her process the information. For some reason I hear what sounds like a housefly or wasp flying by the back of my ear. Of course I'm gonna swat at it and rub behind the bothered ear.
Ah -man, fuzzy logic. "Freya," I place my hand on her shoulder, "It's okay if we share the futon…" I get up, cross the room to the closet and dig out one of my black tee shirts. I toss her the shirt, hanger and all as I move my limited wardrobe to half of the closet. I look over my shoulder to Freya, "I'll be in here for a little bit," I point to the water closet, "so you can change and you can put your clothes in here." I point to her side of the closet. I beat a hasty retreat as I hear Freya work the zipper on her dress.
I put my hands on the sink then slowly look at the red-faced idiot in the mirror. "You are such a dork!" I say to my reflection. I proceed slowly to take care of my before bed business. I usually am in and out in record time so I get reminded just how small this room is -toilet, sink, mirrored cabinet and a place to hang my sweat pants turned bedclothes. I hear the quiet bump of the closet door shutting so I figure that it's safe to come out while I finish brushing my fangs...
Turning out the water closet light I return to the now sleeping area where Freya is waiting in the same spot I last saw her and looking very cute in the oversized borrowed shirt. I grab the extra body length pillows to toss in with the regular pillows and bedding. Freya looks on as I walk over to scratch the sleeping monster dog's ears and turn out the kitchenette light while I'm there. I guess I'm running out of excuses as I set my alarm clock.
I turn around, sit down and face Freya across the bedding between us. "Freya, if you don't mind I'll sleep on this side because the alarm is on the same side." Why the hell am I so nervous..?
"I have no objections," is all Freya says and I divvy up half of the pillows then we slip into the opposite sides of the futon. I look up at the clock and try some calming breaths before I settle down with a yawn and fall asleep.
###
Dreams. Did you ever notice that the only dream you remember is the last one before you wake..? I'll have to say I don't think I've ever had a more vivid dream and realized that I am indeed dreaming. This one must have been caused by the events of the previous day. My body went to sleep but my mind, well just kept on buzzing.
In this dream I sit up and everywhere I look it's a black emptiness. I hear a sigh and look to the sound, a very sad looking Freya is just a few feet before me, her white hair and black dress shimmering. How I know it's a dream is because she is sitting on a quarter sliver of the moon and there are shimmering stars all about the background. Even as beautiful as she looks this has definitely got to be a dream. I stand my ground while Freya hops down gracefully and glides toward me, the moon and stars behind her fade into the blackness of the background.
I watch in awe as she walks around me, I try to speak but nothing comes. She places her hands softly on my shoulders and whispers in my ear. I don't hear her voice only a buzzing, I turn toward her to ask if she would repeat what she said. I notice that she moved her hand to behind my right ear and she seems to understand, even though I do not. She reaches gently to hold my hands before her, looking from my face to my hands then...
Tap, tap... "Greg..."
Tap, tap again on my hand... "The alarm has gone off..."
End of Chapter 2
Hey, what's Chobits without Chi or Dark Chi for that matter? That's it 'til chapter three, which is in the works. Email what you think to Artision2001yahoo.com, I'll take it under advisement. Flames, extinguished as necessary.