I wake up to the sound of... actually, I don't know what the sound is. It sounds like something between a screech, a caw, and a duck. It's not unpleasant, but it's very loud, and it pulls me out of a very comfortable sleep.
I sit up, rubbing my eyes, and look around. I'm in the bed again, and the room is dark.
Llywelyn is in his own bed, curled up under the blankets, his back to me. I can hear his soft, even breathing, so he's still asleep. Above me, I can hear Mira breathing softly, too. Which means that it can't be either of them making that weird sound. So what is...?
It comes again, and I realize it's coming from outside the room. I throw off the covers, and walk to the door. I open it, and peek out into the hall. There's a creature standing there, a bird-like thing with a long neck and a bright red crest on its head. It's the source of the noise, and it's looking right at me with big, round eyes.
I obviously don't recognize what kind of bird it is, but it does remind me of an emu. Except for its everything. But it's definitely as big as an emu and... vaguely shaped like one.
"Uh... hi." I say, not sure what else to do.
It caws at me again, and then turns and starts walking down the hall. I watch it go, confused. Is that... some kind of alarm clock? Probably not, given nobody else is awake. I step out of the room, and close the door behind me. I'm still in my sleeping clothes, but I don't really care. I don't think anyone else is awake yet, and I'm not going back to sleep.
The bird peeks back around the corner and caws at me, then stares at me. Which… is a pretty clear message that it wants me to follow it. I guess. I look around the hallway. It's silent and empty, with no passing aliens to ask questions of. I can hear that distant music playing, and the ticking of what I'd assume would be a clock if I could see one anywhere.
The bird caws.
"Okay, okay…" I wave at it finally, and follow after it.
t leads me to a large room, with a dizzyingly high ceiling and a big window facing the drifting starscape beyond. There are tables and chairs, and a counter with a box on it. It's strong, wooden, and has a glass top. It seems to be humming. here are bowls and cups stacked beside it.
The bird stops in front of the box, and caws again. I walk over to it, and look inside. It seems to be full of what looks like… grains. Or seeds. Something feed-adjacent, at least. I don't know what it is, aside from the fact that it's probably feed. I don't know why it's humming.
I look over at the bird. "What? Were you hoping for someone who actually knows what this is?" I ask it.
It just looks at me, and caws again.
"You woke up the wrong person, big guy. I don't know what you want."
It pecks at the box twice and then looks at me. Clearly, it wants me to open the box for it. Which makes me think it's probably supposed to eat the feed that's in it. Or, at least, that it'd greatly like to do so. But then why is it going to me and not some... assigned bird-hand?
The answer is perhaps because I'm the only one stupid enough to follow a bird aimlessly through the halls in the middle of the night.
It taps the box urgently and then caws in my face. I jump back, startled. "Hey! I heard you! Back off!"
It just caws at me again, and then begins to pace impatiently.
Damn, this bird is pushy.
I sigh and reach out for the box. Whatever's causing the humming isn't also making the box electrified or hot or anything else like that, at least. I grab the handle, and pull. The lid opens, and the bird immediately freezes.
A moment later it scurries over and flaps its wing stubs at me and squawks.
"Alright, alright!" I take a step back. "Jeez, I get it! You could show a little gratitude, you know?"
The bird pushes its head into the box and starts pecking and eating away at whatever is in there, completely ignoring my scolding.
"Well." I cross my arms and wait for the bird to finish its breakfast. "Whatever."
After a few moments, it pulls its head back out and shakes itself. Then it turns to me, and tilts its head. It's... almost cute. If I ignore how much of a pain it's been.
"Are you done?" I ask, and it caws.
I'll take that as a yes. I push the box closed, and it turns and waddles away. I watch it go, and then shake my head. "What the hell was that?"
I don't get an answer, of course.
Now the better - more urgent - question is: what's humming? I thought it was the box at first, but all that's in it is some feed, and it's not vibrating, hot, or electric. But the sound definitely seems to be coming from here? So what is lying around the box actually humming...?
I pick it up and move it aside, and the humming gets louder. Then I see it. There's a panel, right where the box was, that's glowing with a faint white light. It's about the size of my hand, and it's covered in... I don't know. Symbols? It looks like a touchpad, but not anything I've ever seen before. So I hesitate, my hand hovering over it.
Should I touch it? What will happen if I do? Will it explode? Will it turn on the lights? Will it summon Xilukulkas?
It probably won't explode.
I press my finger to the panel, and it lights up brighter. The symbols shift and change, and a voice speaks out of the air. "Welcome, Sarah. What can I do for you?"
I yelp and jerk my hand back, my heart pounding, and immediately look around the area for speakers. What the hell was that? Where did it come from? That voice didn't sound at all as if it were coming from the panel!
But I don't see anything. The panel dims, and the voice is silent. I take a deep breath, and calm down. Logically, the voice must have come from the panel, despite how it sounded. And it reacted to me touching it. That means it's probably some kind of intelligent interface. It didn't immediately scold me for touching it, so… I reach out again, and touch the panel. It lights up, and the voice speaks again. "How may I assist you?"
I bite my lip, and try to think of something to say. "Um... what are you?" I ask, feeling stupid.
"I am the Manor Assistant. I am here to help you with any requests or inquiries you may have."
I blink. So it is... some kind of AI. Or at least, that's what it sounds like. But then, I can't be sure. It could be a person, somewhere, talking through a speaker. I don't know.
"Okay. Uh... what is this place?" I ask, gesturing around the room.
"This is one of the manor's minor storage rooms. It's currently only used for storing feed and equipment for the Kraylaix."
"The what?"
"The Kraylaix. It is a rare avian creature currently housed in the manor."
Oh. The bird. "I see. Is... is there anything else I should know about it?"
"The Kraylaix is a domesticated species, bred for egg production. It is not dangerous, unless provoked. It will lay eggs in the provided nest, located in its pen. The eggs should be collected daily, and stored in the refrigeration unit. It is a gluttonous creature that has trouble self-regulating. You should only provide the specified amount of feed, twice per day. Overfeeding will lead to obesity and health issues."
Well, that explains why the bird thing was so frantic. It probably wanted its breakfast.
"And... who is in charge of taking care of it?"
"The Kraylaix is currently assigned to Llywelyn. However, he has been negligent in his duties."
"Of course he has." I mutter. That figures.
"If you wish, you may take over the care of the Kraylaix. The Manor Assistant can provide you with the necessary instructions and information. Would you like me to assign you the duty?"
"Not really."
"Very well. If you would like to peruse available duties, you may search through the database. Currently, you have three days until you will be assigned a duty."
"Three days, huh…" I grimace. The big guy did say something or another about letting me adjust, I think. Or something. I admit, I was a little overwhelmed when I spoke to him, so the exact phrasing of that is… hazy in my memory.
I don't want any kind of duty. I don't want to be here at all. But I don't like the idea of being 'assigned' anything, either.
If nothing else, it might be useful to see what's there. So I tap the panel again, and several icons appear. Most of them I don't really understand the meaning of. They're images, rather than text-based, which is probably useful if I had the context to know what any of the random blob shapes or colors are supposed to mean.
I press the one on the far left, a three-quarters moon shape. It beeps softly, and then brings up a list of names. I recognize some of them. Llywelyn. Mira. Jxyim. Others I don't. But there's one that stands out to me. Mine. I press it, and it opens up a profile.
It's... me.
It has my name, my age, my species. It has a picture of me, which is... weird. I don't remember anyone taking a picture of me. It must have been when I was unconscious, or something. It also has a list of my... skills? Or attributes? I'm not sure.
The attributes list 'resistant to conditioning', 'requires oxygen', 'highly allergic to aseniux' and 'prone to violent outbursts'.
I don't.
Think that last thing is fair.
There's also a little bio underneath it.
"Exhibits usual human physical limitations. Prone to anger. Suggested tasks: cleaning, laundry, gardening. Suggested companions: Llywelyn, Hapstii, Staroepaskim. (More research required) Suggested caution: Do not approach when agitated. Do not offer aseniux, doreis, or other common painkillers.
NOTES: A human taken from a day-sweep of Earth. Possesses the <1% trait of being resistant to conditioning due to unknown reasons. As of the date of purchase, the only known human to possess this trait. Exhibits unusual resilience and violence for humans. Burned down an entire sector of Gilgas. Organized first successful escape of subsapient slaves without sentient aid. Extremely valuable, handle with care."
I... I don't know how to feel about that. It's... strange, to see myself described like that. Like a thing. An object. Some piece of inventory to be tracked, archived, and commented on. It makes me angry. It makes me want to punch something. And the 'prone to violence' comment makes me want to do it even more!
But. I grit my teeth and resist the urge. I don't have the luxury of just… breaking things here. Xiluwhatever didn't strictly say I couldn't break things while warning me against doing harm, but I'm not… stupid. I don't need to make things more difficult for myself right now.
I close the profile, and look at the other names. I can't help but wonder what they say about Llywelyn, or Mira. I hesitate a moment, before I press the button for 'Mira'. Her profile pops up, and it's just as detailed as my own.
"Mira, a Kolumer, purchased from the third moon of the Zollfrein system. Age: 1520 (unconfirmed, must confirm). Exhibits standard Kolumer traits: immunity to negative emotions, high intelligence, excellent memory, strong physical durability. No known allergies or health issues. Suggested tasks: any. Suggested companions: anyone. Suggested caution: Kolumer are incapable of therapeutic duties due to diminished capability for empathy.
NOTES: Mira is a <.01% mutation of her species. Conditioning will not function, but her Kolumer agreeability is present. Will follow instructions without question. Lacks self-preservation instinct. Handle with care. "
I frown, reading that. So Mira is like me? A mutation? I think I might have heard that mentioned, but... she doesn't act like it. She acts like she's been conditioned. She's... docile. Obedient. Happy. But I suppose… no, she isn't the same. That emptiness, that eternal calm is missing. Whatever she is, she isn't what they did to Eric, Mia, or Alistair's sister.
I close her profile, and open Llywelyn's. Given how different he is, I can't help but want to know what his says.
"Llywelyn, an Akutwasian. Age: 27. Exhibits typical Akutwasian traits: high intelligence, sarcastic disposition, arrogant and dismissive, extreme antisocial tendencies. Prone to dehydration and dryness. Requires regular immersion in water. Allergic to nillo pollen. Suggested tasks: minimal. Suggested companions: undecided. Suggested caution: do not assign high-intensity tasks. NOTES: Llywelyn is the singular Akutwasian-"
The door opens loudly enough to startle me, and I turn to see the fishman himself glaring at me. "Why are you here?" He demands, stalking into the room with a look of irritation that suggests I've somehow slighted him by existing.
After a moment, his gaze flickers to the box of feed and then his expression softens. "Did the bird wake you up?"
"Uh-" I quickly close the things on the tablet I was reading. Not that. I feel bad. Or nosy. "Yeah. It demanded food."
"Little ritzah..." He mutters, and walks over to the panel. "Don't touch those. They're trouble."
"Trouble?" I repeat, as he taps the screen and the icons go away. The panel dims and goes dark again.
"Yes. Xilukukas is terrible about setting up security limits properly." He sighs. "You could set off all sorts of annoying alarms and sprinklers if you bumble through and press random buttons."
"What makes you think I'd just press random buttons?"
He gives me a flat look. He doesn't. Even say anything. He just stares at me as if I'm supposed to answer.
My mouth opens.
Closes.
I shove him. "You're a jerk!"
He stumbles, as if I pushed him nearly hard enough for that. "You're a violent human." He complains. "Anyway, where did that bird go...? Normally the little ritzah doesn't leave until it gets its food."
"I fed it."
He glances at me, his brow furrowed, and then looks at the panel. He presses a few buttons, and it lights up again. "You could have bothered to tell me before I got up so early."
"I didn't realize it was your job." I grumble, crossing my arms.
"It is." He sighs. "I just... don't like it. Anyway. There it is." He points at the screen, and I see a video feed of the bird. It's... sitting in front of a large window, watching the stars. "It'll come back when it's hungry. Ugh, I hate birds. They're so needy."
He stretches then, pressing his hands against his back and arching in a way that emphasizes his opened shirt completely excessively. The sound of his spine popping is weirdly louder than I'm used to hearing.
"Ngh. Well I'm claiming it as credit for my work today anyway." He mutters to himself, before turning around and walking away. "Gonna bathe and go back to bed."
"If you're going back to bed why are you even bathing-"
He gives me the most disgusted look over his shoulder. "A woman who arrived here smelling like twenty stables would say that."
"The hell do you mean?! I'd just finished running all day in the dirt and clay-!" I snap, but he's already left the room.
I glare at the doorway, before turning back to the panel. I want to explore it further, see what else I can find out. But... I guess I shouldn't push my luck.
Not that it's probably...
No, it's better not to snoop. That man is insufferable enough without him catching me peeking into his business. I turn and leave the storage room, and head back to my own. Llywelyn is walking just ahead of me.
"Won't you get in trouble for not doing anything today?" I call after him as we walk.
"He's not my nanny." Llywelyn answers. "I am going to say I was exhausted by that excessive dance."
"You're just going to admit to being physically pathetic?" I squint at him. He - I assumed his request for me to 'not tell anyone' had been actually about not wanting anyone to know about how he collapsed afterward. He seems awfully... proud, after all.
"Delicate." He corrects me. "And it's not pathetic to dance until you fall over." He walks into our room and flops face first onto his bed, groaning loudly. "I am an Akutwas. My muscles and bones are not made to withstand high gravity movements."
I frown, and follow him inside. "It was low gravity."
"Go to bed, fis'ia woman."
"Weren't you going to bathe first?"
He turns his face, and one eye, black and gold, fixes on me.
I don't quite know what it is. But it's a little unnerving. It feels like... I'm being sized up. Or stared down. Maybe that's just because he has those unnatural, inhuman eyes.
"Turn around." He says, finally. "Go on. Turn."
I roll my eyes, but do as he says, turning around. "March. To bed." He orders, voice muffled.
"Okay, mom." I say, with sarcasm.
I walk over to the bed, and climb up onto it, crawling under the covers.
He doesn't say anything else.