Chapter 7: Moving?
017 yawned and stretched as she got up and looked over to 018's bed. "How long was 'he' up..." she had tried to stay awake to show 018 the game system she swiped yesterday, but 'he' hadn't gotten back soon enough and now he was asleep.
She picked up the handheld, which had been under her bed inside yesterday's hat of choice."'He' probably wouldn't care anyway." she flipped it on and started the game...
After an hour or two of playing she began to get bored, video games weren't really her thing and she was losing, but 018 still hadn't woken up. Suddenly there was a familiar knock, it could only be one person.
Knowing he wouldn't be at the door anyway 017 took her time, got a new hat, hid the game under her bed again, then went to the door but looked back and sighed "Still not up... and probably doesn't want to do anything anyway." 017 left.
"you shouldn't ignore the others" 018 remembered as 'he' finally woke up. Looking around told 'him' 017 had left, with no idea when or where she went, 'he' got up, reached for 'his' hat then remembered it was gone. "Maybe he'll bring it by... or should I go look for him... he'll be busy. What about going out without it?"
So 018 decided, 'he' would go without it. Down the halls not knowing where most places are or where 'he' should go to meet anyone, it was a long winding hike to nowhere.
"Whoever made this place sure did like hallways." Rooms were few and far between, each one devoid of people. 018's X-ray eyes telling each room's purpose, the first a closet, the second a utility panel, the third an empty bedroom... 018 trudged on, down the impeccably clean hall.
Then 'he' came upon a more lively room, one with two experiments in it. "Should I bother them?" 018 stood there for awhile thinking it over, then eventually knocked. "Whoof theree?" someone chocked, and the door slid open reveling 018 to the inhabitants.
An experiment 018 had not seen before seemed to be chewing on something. "Hello."
"...Hello." It responded after swallowing. "Who are you, want to come in?"
"I'm zero-one-eight, I'm just looking around the lab too meet people."
"Oh, well come on in and have some popcorn." 013 offered with a smile.
"...Ok, thank you." 018 entered, turned to 014, and nodded "Hello."
"Hi, hi." 014 squealed childlike.
"I'm zero-one-three and that's zero-one-four," 013 sat down beside 014 and held out a small cup full of white/yellow fluffy things. "and this is popcorn!"
018 took the offer, sat down with them, and tasted it. "It's good."
"Yeah, I can't get enough of it and zero-one-four here makes it all day long, so I kind of have to eat it, what a life huh?" 013 exclaimed happily.
"Sounds good." 018 said as 'he' finished the cup off. "Well it's nice to meet you, I'll be going now." 018 got up to leave. "That's weird, why come all this way just to say hi?" 013 asked.
"I'm not sure... just following some advice."
"What advice?"
"That seeing people would be fun."
"But you didn't even talk."
"What do you mean?"
"People go out to see each other so that they can talk about what they've been doing while they were apart, or to go out together and do something new."
"But I haven't seen you before, so I have nothing to say. Would doing something with you be fun?"
"Yeah we can be fun loving, right zero-one-four?" "Yes, yes, fun!" 014 squealed.
"What would we do?" 018 thought, "You ever been to the movie room?" 013 questioned, "No" 'he' replied. "Then come on, to the movie room!"
The trio trotted down the hall, passing a few more bedrooms 018 noted one occupant but the rest of the rooms were empty. "This is where Jumba has our 'monthly movie night', zero-one-four provides the popcorn of course." 013 told 'him' as they approached a door at the end of an off shoot in the hallway.
013 was about to open the door when 018 called out, "Wait." "Wait for what?" 013 stopped, "There are people inside, we shouldn't bother them." 018 explained.
"How can you tell?" 013 wondered, "X-ray eyes." 'he' said.
"Well what are they doing?"
"..."
"...You can't tell, or you can't tell." 013 pressed, wondering what could be going on in there, he tried to sniff but could only smell popcorn.
"We should leave." 018 turned around.
"...Well there are other things we can do, want to go outside?" 013 teased, 014 recoiled at the thought, but 018 didn't understand. "What's out there?"
"Oh, nothing but space, lots of space." 013 joked again.
"Well, there is one place I'd like to go. Do you know where clothes would be washed?"
"Yes, you wear clothes?" 013 gave a puzzled look. "A hat." 018 clarified.
"Ok, clothes would be washed bye zero-one-zero, where he may be is another matter. He moves around the whole lab washing it everyday, there's no telling where he's been or where he'll show up next, well except that he won't be in an experiment's room... he's not allowed anymore."
"Oh... well it was nice to see you." 018 said, as 013 realized 'he' had lead them back to their room. "Alright good luck finding him." 013 and 014 waved bye and entered their room. "Thanks." 018 left.
Setting off down the hallways again. "Where would he be? Should I bother others, I don't have any reason to see them and they might be busy ...like back there where they were..." 018 shrugged off the thought and continued down the hall in search of 010.
"I think that was him, but he wouldn't be in an experiment's room... better make sure." 018 had gone back towards the lone occupant, it did look like 010...
'He' knocked, "Who's that?" "Are you zero-one-zero?" "No!" "...Sorry."
Well that was a bust, 018 continued down the hall again. "There can't be much more to this place... right?"
...
'He' had wandered for nearly an hour and hadn't found anyone else. "It's useless... I'll just have to wait for 003 to bring it back for me, if he does." 018 headed back to his room.
Upon returning 018 found 'his' room empty, well still full of hat and magazines but no 017, then he noticed a particular green hat 'he' was fond of; pristine clean, and laying right on his bed. "He did bring it back..."
'He' hadn't felt inclined to go back out, so 'he' just sat around 'his' room for the next few hours and was actually surprised when 017 came in. "Hey, you're up, finally."
"...Hey."
017 walked over to 'him', "So, have you just been sitting there all day again."
"No."
"Really, then what have you been doing?"
"...Looking for this hat."
"What do you mean looking for it? Did you leave it somewhere?"
"No, zero-zero-three had it washed and I went to get it back."
"Ok, well, you want to see the game I swiped yesterday?" 017 asked, eager to show off.
"Game?"
"Yeah, a game." 017 spun around and reached under her bed. "This." 017 shoved the game system into 018's hands.
"What am I supposed to do?"
"First you need to turn it on." click "The object of the game is to make full lines across the screen..."
...
018 played for several hours, turns out 'he' was much better than 017 but 'he' didn't find it all that entertaining.
"Well, you're bored and I'm hungry, and it is dinner time so let's go."
018 handed the game back to 017. "Ok."
At the cafeteria 018 took note of the usual absents of 003, 013 and 014, as 'he' gathered 'his' food. 017 had again gone to sit with the girls, and 'he' noticed 019 was being helped by 009.
"Hey what have you been up to?" 015 greeted 'him', "Yeah, we haven't seen you around at all since two days ago." 016 popped up beside 015.
"...Nothing." 018 sat down, 015 and 016 sat on either side of 'him'. "Nothing, why is that all you do, just sitting in your room shunning everyone?" 015 questioned.
"I'm not shunning anyone. There's just nothing to say." 018 began eating.
"The only way you could have 'nothing to say' is if you really haven't been doing anything, but zero-one-seven has told us some things like you stayed out really late last night, you had blood stains all over your fur the other day, and you've been spending time with zero-zero-three." 015 lectured.
"I was washing the blood out, zero-zero-three helped."
"But how did you even get bloody in the first place?" 016 asked.
"Jumba shot me."
"What!?"
"He was testing my bullet proof hide."
"He actually shot you!" 015 was gaining unwanted attention now. "I can't believe that!" 016's outburst wasn't helping either.
"What was that, zero-one-eight got shot?" "By who, when?" "How did 'he' survive?" Some started to look at 012 accusingly.
"No need to get excited people, it was just part of 'his' testing nothing more." 017 called out to calm them all down, and it worked, after awhile most experiments were leaving.
018 was just finishing 'his' meal but unlike the others 'he' didn't get up, now only 018, 001, 002, and 017 who had been waiting for 'him' were left.
"Ready?" she asked.
"No."
"What... what are you waiting for?"
"Zero-zero-three."
"You're going to wait around for who knows how long until, zero-zero-three shows up?" 018 nodded. "Why?"
"He said he doesn't like eating alone."
017 mulled over this for a minute. "Then... do you mind if I wait too? Would he care to see me?"
"I wouldn't mind, but I don't know."
Author's note: Not what I wanted... oh well.