Well, back once again with a new chapter to fill the setup in the story's opening phase. I hope it's not too boring at this point! If there's anything you guys think I should do better, feel free to let me know. I'm always willing to improve my writing!
I would have posted this sooner, but I unfortunately encountered an Error Type 2 on the website that I had no control over, and it took a while to get resolved.
"...Okay, SORIA, this part is extremely important..." Kira said. "...I need your support."
"Understood, Kira." SORIA responded. "First, pour one cup of white flour into a bowl."
"White flour...? But I... don't have any of that around here." Kira responded.
"The requisite ingredients for this recipe are lacking if this is the case. Would you like me to look up a different one?" SORIA asked.
"No." Kira answered, looking through her cupboards. "I might not do a lot of baking... but that just means we have to be flexible... ah! Here it is!"
Kira pulled out a sealed bag and held it up.
"Kira, that is dried oatmeal." SORIA stated.
"I know." Kira responded. "Tell me how to make pancakes using oatmeal!"
SORIA remained silent for a moment, set aside the faint, rapid beeping while the word "SEARCHING..." appeared on her screen. This went for a few seconds, before a faint buzzer sound went off, followed by the word "-ERROR-" appearing on her screen.
"I find nothing in my database matching that ingredient to any variant of the same recipe." SORIA finally said.
Kira sighed impatiently. "Are you serious...? It's practically the same thing! Just substitute powdered oat for the flour!" she said.
"Understood, Kira." SORIA said. "Please specify which grade of oat you wish to use."
"...Oh, come on!" Kira said. "I just want something to eat! Do you know what it's like to be starving?"
SORIA was silent for a moment. "...I do not, Kira. Only living beings are capable of experiencing hunger."
Kira sighed once again. "I guess I'll go out to grab something to eat..."
"Repetitive sighing; a possible symptom of cardiac neurosis, often caused by fatigue." SORIA said. "The recommended treatment includes use of drugs such as beta blockers or a sedative."
"Great... you're a nurse too, huh?" Kira said.
"No, Kira. I have no license in the medical field; I am merely cross-checking all possible symptoms with an online disease and disorder database." SORIA answered.
God... she is way more annoying than helpful... Kira thought.
"Look..." she began. "...I have a favor to ask: please don't talk anymore unless I ask you to, okay? Just sit there like a rock."
"Yes, Kira." SORIA answered with no hesitation or resentment. "However, my composition is approximately eighty-two percent of petroleum-processed materials, including aluminum, steel, silicon, copper, and polymers. Due to my ten-percent mineral base, I would not make for a convincing rock."
"Also... no need for big, fancy words." Kira said. "I'm not a robot."
"Yes, Kira. There is a ninety-percent probability that you are human." SORIA said. "Would you like me to administer a reCAPTCHA test to confirm this theory?"
"...Never mind. You can get back to me on that other ten percent later." Kira said. "I'm just gonna head out and grab some lunch. Oh, and I think I'll need to stop by the university's administration center to check on a few things."
"Understood, Kira." SORIA said. "Would you like for me to monitor your residence and report any intruders that may enter via text messages to your cell phone?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever..." Kira said, just before grabbing her keys and heading out the door.
She went out to a fast food restaurant and ordered some things from the drive through. She got a meal for herself, as well as some lunch for Aster and Star. Hopefully, Kira thought, Aster was able to keep Star entertained for long stretches of time; she always worried about them being too bored whenever she was out.
Kira stopped at the university administration building to see if she was currently up to speed on getting her Bachelor's degree, and to see what other classes she would require. From what she found out, everything was going well, and her counselor offered her some additional internship opportunities as well as extracurricular activity options if she was interested.
Just as she was about to head out, a girl approached her.
" 'Scuse me..." she said. "...sorry to bother you, but... um... are you, by chance, willing to take a roommate at the moment? Or flatmate?"
Kira narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Well... see..." the girl began. "...with my current situation, I need a bit of financial assistance to get myself back on my feet."
"Uh..." Kira began. "...who are you, exactly?"
"Oh, sorry..." the girl said. "...name's Sam."
"I'm Kira." Kira responded.
"So, Kira... I know that it's all out-of-the-blue and whatnot, but... is there any way you could take a roommate, or flatmate... like, now-ish?" Sam asked.
Had Kira never met Aster, she probably would have accepted, given how isolated she would probably be from living alone. However...
"Um... I really can't say. I would like to have a flatmate, but... there's some things that... complicate matters." Kira said.
Sam sighed and hung her head down. "For real...? Isn't there anyone who can take me in right away?"
"Look, Sam..." Kira said. "...it's not that I don't want to have a flatmate; I think it would be great to have one! The thing is... I've had a bit of a... situation that really wouldn't make it ideal for me to accept a flatmate right now."
"Please!" Sam begged. "My parents won't take me back under their roof! And I have nowhere else to go! Nobody else wants to take me in for a short while, and I can't afford full rent with my current job, so... could you please help me until I'm ready to go on my own way?"
Kira sighed. "...Alright. I guess there's no point in protesting. Sure, you can stay with me, but..."
She looked around to see if anyone would be listening.
"...first, tell me if you can keep a secret." Kira finished.
"Yeah, sure." Sam said. "Whatever it is, my lips are sealed."
"No," Kira said. "I mean like a big secret. Bigger than everything you've ever had to handle, I'm sure."
"How big?" Sam asked.
"As in 'the-government-will-come-and-take-it-from-me-if-word-gets-out' type of thing." Kira said. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you what it was. I would have to show you, but you need to promise that you won't tell anyone!"
"Okay!" Sam said.
"Swear it!" Kira demanded.
"Alright, jeez..." Sam said. "...I won't care if it's the Hope Diamond you've taken! All I need is a place to stay!"
"Okay... just know that I'm trusting you on this one, okay?" Kira said.
"Got it." Sam said. "Also, is it okay if I check out your flat before I move in?"
Kira went silent for a brief moment as the blood drained from her face.
"...O-okay..." she stammered.
"You alright?" Sam asked.
"...Yeah..." Kira answered.
With that being said and done, Kira drove her car over to where Sam had parked hers, and Sam drove close behind Kira back to her house just a short distance away from the campus. They both parked at the curb on the side of the street Kira's place was at.
"Woah..." Sam said after seeing the house. "...this is where you live?"
"Yep." Kira said. "Being a paid intern can really pay off."
So, Kira decided to show Sam the interior of the house, and right off the bat, SORIA rolled her way over to the two as they entered the house.
"Greetings, Kira." SORIA began. "I see that you have brought a visitor along with you."
"So, Ms. Super Robot," Kira began. "were you able to keep the place secure while I was out and about?"
"Yes, Kira. But I am not a Super Robot." SORIA said. "I am a conventional personal assistance terminal."
"Woah, sick!" Sam said in awe. "Is that a SORIA unit? Lucky! How did you get one of those?"
"It was... a gift." Kira said.
"Well, whoever gave out the dough for this thing... they gotta be the nicest person in the world!" Sam remarked.
"Kira? What's going on?" came Aster's voice in Kira's head. "Who is that?"
Kira quickly felt her entire body freeze. She had forgotten about him and Star momentarily.
"So..." Sam said. "...you got a pretty nice place. Mind if I check out the rest?"
She began to make her way down the stairs into the basement... where Kira sensed that Aster and Star were both hiding.
"U-uh... w-w-well, I..." Kira stammered.
Once Sam had entered the basement, the first thing she saw... were the two black extraterrestrial beings... staring right back at the visitor who froze in utter shock at what she saw before her...
Oh, jeez... it's Hailey all over again, isn't it? We'd better hope not! Anyways, thanks for bearing with me on the slow, and somewhat improbable, setup portion of the story. I hope that the newer substance that I introduce later on will be more intriguing. So stay tuned for more to come! Keep holding on...