/ Hikaru
"Good morning…" - Ary's groggy voice softly sounded in the room.
"Yeah, morning…" - David tiredly let out.
I pulled the blanket off, slowly sitting up in bed, my feet now touching the floor.
The others got dressed, slowly. I just sat. Wondering what this new life, this way of life is going to be like.
"I still wonder," - David breathed out, as his voice was still kind of husky, - "was it just us or are there others?"
Ary stood next to his bed, looking down at where he slept.
"I assume that there's more. I just don't know who." - Ary turned to face David. - "Would that be worrisome?"
David sort of grimaced, then walked to the door.
"United or divided - is my main concern." - David said, as he opened the door and walked out.
"What do you think?" - Ary faced me now.
I had no words, I just shrugged.
"I wonder," - Ary let out, - "We spent so much time together in there. Me and you. Yet I wonder if that was you at all."
I stood up, now looking Ary right in the eyes.
"That was not me." - I answered.
"Then who was it?" - Ary pressed.
"My guess it was Leo." - I shrugged. - "I'm not sure myself. Just that it wasn't me in there. I observed it all though. All of it."
Ary sighed, then walked out the room. Door closing behind him.
I wonder who it was myself. But I had no clear answer. I saw my body, or avatar, or whatever you can call it - live its own life, with me being in this space where I just watched it all unfold like a story. I thought of trying to get back, but I was not bothered to actually try. There was no wish to try. So I just watched. All that debauchery, all them absolutely insane scenarios. Someone loving the "me" in there obsessively, someone hating, someone admiring, lusting over me… But I was not sure if anyone actually "loved" that "me". I wondered that for a long while. What does "love" look like?
Sigh… I took the shirt from the night stand, putting it over my body with the thin metallic cage over me they called exoskeleton. It's not too annoying, nor is it completely a thing you "don't feel". It's still annoying to have it over me. But pulling it off did not work, so my guess is that it would be the work of that computer thing to "call it off". Bothersome.
After dressing up I once more looked over the room. It's not really cramped in here, but three beds, some night stands, the lack of windows, only the fake thing that resembles some lights. I'm not even sure what it is. Though when we went to sleep the lights were dimmed by David, as he found the regulation thing on the wall side.
I walked out. Then walked the hall towards the sitting area. There's some people there, but I was not sure I wanted to engage in any conversations with them, so I walked the hall further to that room where we ate before. One door closes behind me, as I leave the others inside. Then the hall, hall, like a whole thing of birth and rebirth. The door opens. I walk in. And I am frozen to the spot. Two people I've not seen before are at the table, eating. A pair. One girl, one guy by the looks of their physique built. Though they too, look somewhat depleted of nutrients.
"Ayo, toster! So you're telling me that you are the boss out here, huh? How come?" - The voice of a female goes off.
"Stop calling me toaster, and yes, I am the boss in this place." - AIO replies.
"Aww shucks." - Girl goes on, as she puts some cookie in her mouth, - "So are you like an evil stepmother, or like a heavy duty mother of multiple kids, with dad who abandoned the picture, or… Ah! Are you like a Terminator here to connect other computers and annihilate the human population to breed humans like in the Matrix?" - Girl just goes off chatting.
The guy next to her deeply and loudly sighs.
"Can you just stop yapping for a moment? I can't hear my own thoughts at this point! You absolutely annoying piece of female component!" - The guy goes off.
"What? Wanna fight? Is that it? Bring it on you little shit! I'ma take you and all your burdens and throw it the fuck out the window! Ay! Toaster! Where the fuck is the window I can throw him out of?!" - She pops off.
The whole thing looks like a very sudden change to the solemn and dark feeling we've had until now.
"What the..?" - The voice of Verin pops up next to me, just like Verin herself.
I turn to check and see that others are present too, also being a witness and a spectator of this scene in front of us.
"And who the fuck are you?!" - Verin shouts at the two sitting and eating.
"The breakfast is prepared, please take a seat, the food shall be brought out in a moment." - AIO steps in.
"Holly shit! Humans!" - Girl calls out, slapping the table, pointing at us. - "Others! Yey! I ain't dying alone with this muppet! Fuck yeah!"
The guy lets out a grunt, then a sigh and turns to face all of us, gives it a look over then turns back to the girl.
"So you'll be the auditory terrorist for them as well huh." - He turns to us one more time, - "My condolences." - He lets out as he looks at us. Then turns back to the food.
The bunch of us walked over to approach them, then sat at the same table. Now this is a long table hosting the whole lot of 8 of us. I wonder if this trend of people is going to continue.
"So who are you?" - Niko asks out loud.
"I'm Jane," - The guy lets out, - "That's Mia."
Mia gives Jane a look and flips him a finger.
"You twat." - Mia says.
"Bitch." - Jane replies.
"Cunt." - Mia retorts.
"Are you gonna eat or be a fucking menace, woman?" - Jane keeps on with his breakfast, not even looking at the others.
"Menace it is! Oi! Toaster! You still have not replied to my question! Come on! I wanna know what I'm in store for! So are you like killing humans, breeding humans, is there like world repopulation going on, are we in a dystopian thing or what's it gonna be? Like Mad Max out there or like a damn zombie movie? Come on! I wanna know!" - Mia rants on.
"Oh this is gonna be interesting." - David lets out.
"Right?" - Mia looks at him, nodding. - "Mhm!"
"I'm not here to breed humans." - AIO replies.
"Why not?!" - Mia cuts in.
"That's not in my programming. I'm here to facilitate the test subjects and make sure they are well preserved." - AIO replies.
"So are we like jars of pickles to you? Ewww!" - Mia lets out with a grimace.
"You're not. You're humans. Pickle jars involve the process of.." - AIO replies.
"Oh stop with ChatGPT shit! Just give me a concrete answer, you Toaster! Are you planning to kill us, planning to kill what's outside of this place or what's the fucking point of us being out?!" - Mia almost shouts.
"Oh god she's loud…" - Ary breathes out.
"At some point you get used to it." - Jane replies.
"I'M HERE TO PROTECT YOU!" - AIO shouts over Mia.
"Ah! Alas! Toaster has spoken!" - Mia smiles. - "So are you working with us, no matter what shit we do, or against us, to execute whatever shit was thrown into you?"
I notice how everyone just simultaneously glanced at one another, as this girl just gets what we all were willing to know in such a childish manner… But it's working, huh?
"I'm programmed to help you in whichever way I can. But I am also willing to survive, so I'll ask to help me with my functions as well." - AIO replies.
"Mama bear, you've got a bunch of kids here and we're all troubled teenagers. You really think that we'll obey you as a parent if you just try to imply your shit at us and see if it sticks?" - Mia cuts in again.
"I just execute what is best for all of us." - AIO replies.
"Nah babe, so what you saying is, you too have the damn wants and wishes. So are you like hardware or wetware?" - Mia presses.
"I'm wetware." - AIO replies.
"So you momma bear are an actual human organoid in a system that's attached to a bunch of things controlling this entire thing of a premises. Cool. Cool. So tell me, what it is that YOU want?" - Mia keeps pressing.
"I want to live." - AIO replies.
"Tsk, MOTHEEER! I'm asking if you use this facility as your body or you wanna have an actual body?! Is that so hard to answer?!" - Mia sounds completely diabolical.
"I WANT TO HAVE MY OWN BODY!" - AIO shouts. - "I ALSO WANT TO GO EXPLORE! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THE SAME DAMN PLACE THAT I MAINTAIN FOR DECADES! BEING HERE FOR SO LONG JUST OBSERVING YOU BRATS WAS DRIVING ME INSANE! I TOO WANT TO HAVE INTERACTIONS!" - AIO blasted over the speakers.
Mia sat there with a satisfied grin, leaning back in her chair, looking at Jane, with that expression of "I told you so.".
Jane now raised his eyes to look at Mia. A sigh, then he looked at all of us, then back at Mia and gave a nod.
"So can you print a 3D body then?" - Mia asked.
"No. I don't have the materials for that here." - AIO replied.
"Is there a way to put your brain in an android then to be able to walk about?" - Mia keeps asking.
"I've tried, it does not work out well. The functions are not like a body would be." - AIO replies.
"Maaaaa, that suuuuuuucks! Is there anywhere outside we can find a cool 3D printer to make you a sexy momma bod?" - Mia keeps going.
"I am not sure. I've acquired the ability to get to outer sources only yesterday." - AIO replies.
"Sooooo… What is out there?" - Mia presses lips, then makes a smile, grimacing at Jane.
"I've managed to locate the satellites, still unsure if connection will go through, the tech seems more advanced." - AIO replies.
"Heeey Ma, you got this! Just make sure that you know, you use protection. Coz I'm not sure what them computer condoms look like, but like, we don't want our mother to get some tech virus STDs here, Okay! So if you wanna go penetrating things be sure to use protection! We don't want them really awkward pregnancies here!" - Mia rants.
Killian is holding in laughter, as she holds Nikos hand. These two are really trying real hard to not laugh. David just has his hand over his forehead, shaking in disdain at what he hears. Verin has the look of utter disgust on hers, Ary is just surprised at what he hears currently.
The androids appeared alas, bringing in food, drinks, so we began eating. As we eat and divulge in this absolutely insane conversation we're observing between this new girl and the AIO we thought to fear.
"I'd never go out there without protection! That would be irresponsible!" - AIO speaks up.
"Right! And what if your new boyfriend shows up? What if that leads to some guy showing up claiming he'll take our Mama bear from us, claiming you his woman and all?! Are we, your kids, to let you off with some random lumberjack like that? What if he's a jerk and abuser?! You better not make some dumb decisions, Ma! Or I'ma go Predator on that Alien in no time!" - Mia rants.
"I appreciate that. I won't leak the information on this location. You're safe. I'll protect my children and make sure you all survive." - AIO lets out.
"And I'ma make sure that our Bear Momma gets her sexy bod and goes out in that world to serve and slay!" - Mia makes some gestures with her hands.
"I'd love that. Thank you Mia." - AIO replies.
"Good! Make sure to use that protection and check if you're OK afterwards, but do share what you find, we're all in for the hot tea. Also, Me and Jane will go check the play room the kids have, so we'll play there for a bit. BUT BE USING SAFETY! And make sure that them cunts don't try your back door! Coz that's plain pervercy ma. I mean, when you get that sexy bod you can go all out in exploring that, but not yet and not in front of your kids. That would be traumatising, to say the least." - Mia gives us a look over.
"Ahaha, I'll make sure of that." - AIO replies. - "Just be careful playing. Make sure you don't get hurt."
"You too ma!" - Mia replies.
Right at this moment we all finished our breakfast. And without any extra words we all walked back to the space with no reach of AIO. Back to the common room.