Trades46 here,
This next was requested by my sister who dared me to give an attempt at a Christmas special arc for this story. I wrote this in a hurry, so grammar-wise it might not be my best piece of work. However, I wanted to get this up in time before Christmas.
Note that this chapter IS NOT connected to the main plotline whatsoever; it is merely a spinoff.
Well now I sorted that out…enjoy!
Chapter 5x: Christmas Special
A couple of weeks past after the day I made up with Ti2 and the testing of the prototypes are completed. All the data are being sent to the DDA for final evaluation before the higher-ups green light the Legend and Next's final design for mass production. Unfortunately now, all test pilots can do, is wait.
I was never re-assigned back into the flight division I was previously in before becoming a test pilot, so I think I just gotten lucky. In fact, I'm willing to bet all of Darius is benefiting from a bit of luck.
Ever since Corporal Lance's report to me that day, it seems that the Belser haven't been making much progress in their invasion. There was the odd attack here and there, but no definite attempts to strike deeper into our defense line and get closer to conquering Darius. The sudden halt of attacks means that pilots on standby were plentiful, and important figures like prototype test pilots like me are put into cold storage for the time being.
Whatever the reason is, this lack of coordinated attack has definitely brought all of humanity more time.
So much time in fact, that now, many trucks with shovels outside are circling all around the DIA to clear the white-stuff that has come down non-stop for the past couple of week. It's apparently that time of the season, and today's the day that old Saint Nicholas is supposedly dropping in again.
The DIA now is much more calm as the Belser have appeared to been taking a break from their conquest, which means majority of the workers have gone home to their families to celebrate Christmas again.
"Lt. Col. Pratica, aren't you heading home to your family?" Corp. Lance asks me in the common chamber.
I reply that I have been without parents since I was born.
"…that's a shame, sorry bout' that."
I ask him what he is doing for Christmas this year.
"Ah, my old man is back from his performin' group couple days back, and Ma was talkin' with me cousins who came back from the city nd' throwing a gathering. I'd be goin' soon, they'd be waitin'."
He left the chamber after he was called to the front-desk for a phone-call.
I got myself another cup of coffee and continue to sit in the room in silence. After all the testing every day just a couple of days back, this is certainly a nice change of pace.
I stroll out to the prototype hangars, which luckily enough was heated to which the older ones on the outside were not.
Most of the crew that have worked on the prototypes are gone already. Only Grinnell and a couple of engineers stay with their computers in the little pods at the edge of the hangar. I haven't been able to talk to my good friend since the testing was all but completed, and from what I can tell he has worked himself to death since my part is completed.
Since today is the 24th, I dropped by for a quick hello before letting him do his work. Poor guy had to be cooped up to work on Christmas' Eve. The DDA really needs to have their schedules re-inspected by labor right groups.
Since there is nothing else for me to do at the airbase, I decide to sign-out early and head on home. If I'm lucky, I can stop for food and other things and still make it on time for a movie. Those are probably the best way I can take the rest of today off.
Walking onto the snowy parking lot, I took out my keys, unlock the door and start the 901RS*. She may be a bit old, but has been a faithful and fun machine that I had owned for a long time before my piloting days. Turning out of the DIA facility with my wipers on, I carefully drove on the snowy deserted roads back to my city, with the traditional Christmas carols playing on the radio at low volume.
When I got back to my neighborhood, I stopped at the local market to pick up some groceries. The stores are already empty as everyone has gone back to their families and/or friends. Even the clerk asked if I was going home to a loved one. I gave her a bleak smile.
I open the 'frunk'** of my 901RS and put my purchases inside. It wasn't until I close it that I notice, through the front windshield which I brushed over my snowbrush earlier, could see I have a little stowaway on the backseat of my car. I know who it is without guessing, but I can feel my eye twitch ever so slightly. I was also slightly angry at myself of not noticing this much sooner.
I open the door, turn on the light, fold my seat forward, and wake the little girl with cat-ears that is sleeping soundly on the backseat.
"Ara…did I fell asleep?"
The little android girl a.k.a. the Silverhawk Legend's Ti2 looked at me with a puzzled expression while getting out of the car clumsily.
'What in the name of heavens are you doing in the back of my car?' I asked her, emphasising the annoyed tone in my voice.
"Ahh, Pratica-san, so this was your car! It has such an interesting shape and design…"
'Answer my question Ti2, why did you stowaway in my car, no wait, how did you even get IN my car?'
"Hilda-san wanted to drag me back to the complex…and everyone left the building. I wanted to go somewhere else but Hilda-san wouldn't let me…so I checked the door of every car, and yours opened so…"
'So you wanted to stowaway on someone's car to leave the base?'
She nodded.
…I almost didn't know how to respond. I close all the doors again and locked it using my key. I walk over to the passenger door: locked. I walk back to the driver's door: click, it opens without a hitch…
I did not know at that point whether to get mad at my 901RS or the little cat-ears girl behind me, who was now playing with the snow on the ground. After a minute later, I made up my mind. I turned to Ti2 with a serious expression on my face.
'Get buckled in; I'm taking you back.'
"DAME^! Pratica-san onegai! ^^" the girl cried out.
She throws herself on me and wraps her arms around me. It is partly my unexpectedness and partly the ice on the ground that promptly makes us fall over from her action. Ti2 stares straight into my eyes as she was on top of me.
"Please Pratica-san! Don't take me back to Hilda! She is going to punish me for running away again!"
Her eyes are getting teary…just what I feared. I kept my face unchanged.
"Pra…Riga-san, I've…sniff…read in a book that this…sniff…Christmas thing…was giving others happiness. Can you grant…me my…happiness by…letting me spend…Christmas…with you?"
I feel my face get red despite of my attempts at keeping a straight face. When have androids become this cute?
I get up quickly, turn around and casually brush off the snow from my jacket, turning my back towards Ti2. I take a look at my watch. It read 7pm.
I figured driving back to DIA and back will cost a good 2+ hours of my time in this weather, to which I can say goodbye to that movie I was looking forward to, and also…I felt that android girl just somehow keeps hitting my weak spots.
I turn to Ti2 again and see her trying to wipe away at her tears. I sighed, and unlocked my 901RS and started up the engine. Then I lean over to open the passenger door. Ti2 gave me a tearful glance.
'If you don't want to go back… then where do you want to go?'
She immediately gives me a bright tearful smile.
For the next hour, I drove my 901RS with Ti2 around the city, the freeway overlooking the city and made a quick stop at the local park. She appears to be delighted at the sight of the Christmas decorations placed all over the trees and trails. She also stopped at the nearby park to play on the swings and join some 14 year olds in building a snowman.
After the hour, I drove her back to my small apartment. It was a small single room flat with your basic necessities, and I can best describe the place as presentable given I wasn't expecting visitors. I was suggesting that I leave her off at a hotel which I would pay for earlier, but she insisted to stay with me. I guess this was probably the expected response of a person who never spent a single day in their life outside of a laboratories or military bases.
I didn't question the legal issues of a 28-year-old man bringing in a 14-year-old girl who's not related to him to his home at night. The security guard at the entrance didn't mind; mind you I had to give Ti2 a hat to not let him get any funny ideas from her 'cat-ears'.
I quickly made dinner for both of us after I learned that the android can, in fact, eat like normal humans.
After the Lasagna I sat on the couch with a beer as the new movie 'Legends of Strangereal'^^^ began. I quickly swapped my beer with a can of coke after I noticed Ti2 staring intently at the bottle and offered her one. She refused, saying her internal system can't take caffeine.
After the movie finished and two quick showers later, (consider me surprised when she asked for a shower) I offer Ti2 my bed and headed for the couch. She shook her head and ran all the way to the couch before I could reach it.
"Since I'm barging in, I can't have Pratica-san sleep in this small chair," she insists.
'I will be fine, go to the bed. I've slept like this before, so I'll be fine'
After much bickering later, Ti2 finally persuaded/forced me on the bed with her taking the other side…with a divider in the middle of the bed. She threatened me that if I didn't sleep on the bed or moved her when she was asleep, she'll make me her servant for the rest of Christmas.
As much as I'm unsettled sharing a bed with a supposed underage girl, I was truthfully tired, and unexpectedly happy. I wasn't able to recall a Christmas which I felt this way despite of the unexpected events that occurred. As embarrassing as it sounds, this particular Christmas that I spent with the cheery and innocent android girl would be an unforgettable one. I smiled.
"Pratica-san, are you asleep?"
Not really, something the matter?
"…remember the book about Christmas I talked about?"
I'm listening.
"…it says on the midnight of December 24th, a person with a red coat with a red hat riding a deer powered sleigh would come to deliver presents to all good boys and girls. I'm wondering Pratica-san, would I get a present too."
...
How was I supposed to answer that?
Think I was gone overboard with the Japanese terms this time around, but I'm reluctant to change it. But this particular chapter is all about that anyways right?
Notes*:
*The 901RS is a reference to the Porsche 911 2.7 RS, one of my favourite cars of all time.
**The 911, being a car with the engine in the back end, has no trunk. Porsche owners then refer to the front storage compartment as a frunk: a portmanteau of 'Trunk' and 'Front'.
^Dame = pronounced 'Da-meh' - an informal NO! In Japanese.
^^Onegai = pronounced 'O-neigh-guy' - please in Japanese.
^^^Yes: It is that Strangereal, Ace Combat fans. Rejoice as the aces we all know and love have their stories compiled onto an all new movie for your viewing pleasure, only on planet Darius!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
-Trades46
