Chapter 1 - The Whole New World

[duck_duck_laser]

[Action - 458 Stone Street, Early Morning, Family-locked]

[Slowly, inch by inch, Dakki awakens. Which immediately strikes her as odd, as her thoughts spin up and engage. Mornings are usually a snap-bam-up-and-out-of-bed affair, not this sluggish, heavy-limbed...]

Hwaaaah....

[...was that a yawn? Oh, that felt weird. Her hardware wasn't prone

Comments

Aaaand later in the living room ...

[nanocerancowboy]

[Down in the living room is where Gat notices the two children from the pictures, getting ready to enjoy the late summer day. They both turn to their "parents" with big, wide smiles. It causes Gat to blink tentatively where he stands.]

"Hi, Mommy! Hi, Daddy!"

"Golly! You sure took a while getting out of bed today!"

Uh ... Howdy, kids. [Crap. What's a parent-like thing to say? Gat attempts a grin.] Sleep well?

"Sure did, Dad!"

[Gat frowns slightly. Something about these kids seemed ... too vapid, too programmed. Like how a lot of Partner Machines tend to act.]

[... Boy does he miss Alicia.]

[duck_duck_laser]

[Dakki is immediately taken aback by the appearance of these two kids. She had been striding forward confidently, but she stops, steps back a touch, and whispers unsubtly to Gat.]

I think they both turned at the same time.

...Er, so. What are you two going to do today, huh?

[Clues! They needed clues about how this place ought to work.]

"I'm going to go play baseball with Jimmy and Billy and everyone!"

"I'm going to go hang out at the malt shop today!"

I... see!

[She looks at Gat uncertainly. That didn't reveal squat. Let's try something different.]

That's really great, kids! Now, ah... humor your mom and dad for a second... what should we be doing today?

[The girl grinned vapidly at Gat.]

"You'd better get to work at the fire station, dad! They don't like it when you're late!"

[The younger boy laughed, although the laughter never made it to his eyes.]

"You can make us cookies, mom!"

Cookies.

"But first, you've got to make us our breakfast!"

[She brought a hand to her forehead, closed her eyes, and sighed. This

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat sounds a little uncertain.]

I work at a fire station-?

[That can't be right. He's a Guardian, a security company employee, a-well, corporate mercenary. Fighting fires as a full-time job ... Is that what this simulation (or whatever it is) wants him to do?]

[As the kids answer Dakki's half of the question, he looks around the room. Almost nothing here resembled the architectural or cultural flavor of Parum, Moatoob, or Neudaiz. It still had that "tinge" of human-ness, but it was of a kind that never once stopped feeling alien. Not one single photonic device to be seen. Nothing glowing passively with the telltale presence of Photon Reactors. Even electronic devices seem scarce-that sort of looked like a television, over there in the living room partition ...]

Uh-if ya'll don't mind humorin' your father a lil' more here, what's th' best way to get to th' fire station by walkin'?

"Oh, Dad, you're so silly!" [The drone daughter giggles, but no real personality seems to be behind that giggle. Nevertheless, she does humor Gat and

[duck_duck_laser]

Fire station?

[She looked to Gat with surprise. Not completely unsuitable for him and certainly something they've both had a bit of experience with, but not what the resume ought to indicate.]

If this is a simulation, maybe we've been... inserted into a pre-designed community? Hm! Oh, kids, let's keep playing this game... what job does your mom have?

[This was exciting! She was all eagerly leaned forward, anxious to know what kind of role had been selected for her.]

"Moooom, that's silly!"[The drone son was no less helpful, giving another hollow giggle.] "Moms don't go to work! Who'd take care of us?"

[Dakki's face fell.]

I don't like where we've ended up, Gat.

[Then she huffs, already building up some offense and irritation.]

Taking a walk to work, you mean? I don't know, you think I'm allowed to leave the house? [She snorts.] Well, who cares if I'm allowed or not.... daughter?

[She gets the girl's attention, and puts on the sweetest voice that she has.]You're old enough to help around the house! Would you be so kind

*stubbornly continues!*

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat looks a little apologetic at how Dakki reacts to his contemplating taking a walk around town to get acclimated. He rubs the back of his neck.]

That ain't what I meant, Dakki. I just-

[He sighs. This whole situation has been awkward from the moment they woke up together. He glances back toward Dakki as she heads upstairs, then watches as the kids cheerfully go about making breakfast without any complaint.]

Hah, stubborn Gat. :D

[duck_duck_laser]

I know, I know, Gat!

[The shout is muffled, due to coming from upstairs. Dakki is picking through the closet and drawers in the bedroom, looking for something to replace the nightgown. Dresses, dresses, more dresses... oh, a skirt and blouse, fantastic... she'd just swipe some of Gat's pants, if they weren't just plain too big for her.

A dress might be fine. One with a wide enough skirt would give her room to move, if it came down to it. She cared not one whit who saw her underpants. She selected one in a pleasant shade of blue, and changed into it.]

So how's this?

[Dakki comes right back down the stairs, smiling uncertainly.]

...I didn't mean to snap at you, Gat. I'm sorry. I'm... yelling at the simulation? I'm yelling at the simulation. Though I'm sure it's not listening.

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat turns to look back at Dakki when she comes back down.]

I getcha. Whoever cooked up this here VR space's got a strange sense of humor, I'll tell ya that much.

[And how he looks over the clothes Dakki's wearing. There's a slight smile to his face-even if the design of the clothes seems both alien yet bland in comparison to Gurhal fashion, Dakki does look cute in them. Not that he'd openly admit it. The choice of color almost reminds him of Alicia's dress.]

Huh. That's th' fashion 'round these parts? Lot different than life back in Gurhal. 'Specially with all them line shields everywhere, lightin' up th' place.

[He looks down at the nightshirt he's wearing.]

Eh-reckon I better find an appropriate change'a clothes myself. I'll be right back, Dakki.

[He nods to her briefly as he heads up the stairs himself to the master bedroom.]

[duck_duck_laser]

[Seems like a positive response to the dress. Dakki's still smiling.]

It's reasonably comfortable. A little snug at the waist, maybe. It feels strange to not be... faintly glowing. You get used to that, huh?

[She clears off the stairs to let him by, so he can change.]

[nanocerancowboy]

[Considering how, as a Coralian android, he didn't even have to deal with clothes-and even when he was rebuilt with Gurhalian technology and given the benefit of being able to change parts the parts he's wearing with nano transformers-it takes him a few minutes to figure out how to put clothes on. But he's a quick learner at least.]

[When he comes back down, he's wearing a pair of khaki-colored slacks, a brown belt, similarly colored shoes, and a casual white shirt. Nothing too fancy; it was the first thing that caught his eye.]

Kinda miss havin' them nano transformers.

[duck_duck_laser]

[Dakki tilts her head to the side slightly, smiling at Gat as he comes back down the stairs. It's simple clothing, well in step with her own dress, but good-looking none the less. Humble. Practical-looking. She likes it.]

Me too. Maybe this is something we were overdue to learn, anyway, hm?

[nanocerancowboy]

You might be right there. Like they say, ya don't fully appreciate what ya got until you lose it.

Guess it's somethin' even us folks born from technology can stand learnin'.

[duck_duck_laser]

We'll be very appreciative of everything we're missing by the time we're done here, I'm sure.

[Dakki laughs, and straightens the collar of her dress.]

Let's go take a walk.

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat nods and smiles some in response. He'll follow Dakki to the door, but not before calling out to the drone children.]

Kids, your mother an' I're gonna go out and check on somethin' around town. Y'all be safe now, y'hear?

"Okay, Dad!"

"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy!"