Date: September 15, 3048
Time: 14:04
Location: Junkyard near Elliott Manor
For fifteen minutes, I've been staring at this sign, trying to figure out how to get into Elliott Manor itself. The manor sticks out like a sore thumb, sitting just fifty meters away from this dump filled with countless dead drones. It's strange, almost absurd, to see such a grand building so close to a mountain of garbage.
Ideally, I need to meet Tessa so she can take me in. That would be perfect—no effort required on my part. They'd make me a butler, and I'd become an official part of Elliott Manor.
People might ask, "Why do you want to be in that manor? There's nothing to do there, and Tessa's awful mother will force you to work." Honestly, I don't care. I need to gain the trust of future Disassembly Drones and one little planet destroyer. It's crucial to stay on their good side, or I won't survive the trouble they'll bring.
I'm almost a fully functional drone—just missing the manipulator (hand) on my left arm. The absence of it causes a ton of unpleasant sensations. It's uncomfortable not to have something you've relied on your whole life.
I stand up and look around. I'm perched atop a mountain of discarded drones. There are just so many of them, and they all seem to have died in different ways. Some are missing body parts—heads, arms, legs, and so on. Others have holes in their heads, and on closer inspection, you can see that each hole is actually four small, uneven punctures. Judging by the shape, it's clear that these drones were killed by ordinary forks. How many drones has James destroyed with mere cutlery? I'd rather not know. Humans in this world are savage, breaking their own drones and then complaining about it. Don't even get me started on improper disposal practices. If they'd recycled correctly, they wouldn't have lost their main planet!
I decided to make myself a new manipulator. I activated The Solver of The Absolute Fabric, The Void, The Exponential End, examining its appearance. It looks cool and unique: a white hexagon at its center with three arrows extending outward in different colors—one purple, one red, and one yellow. Across the tips of these arrows runs a nuclear-orange stripe, connected to the center as well. The whole thing faintly resembles a demon summoning pentagram. Well done, God! My Solver's aesthetic is top-notch, although it's a dead giveaway. Still, as the saying goes, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
Using the create command, I crafted a new hand. Instantly, life became much easier and more comfortable... That is, until I saw dozens of error messages flood my vision.
Critical energy levels. Shutting down systems.
Critical CPU temperature. Most programs have been disabled.
Immediate module replacement required: Right leg.
Critical levels of lubricating fluid. Shutting down all systems.
Core status: 30%.
Immediate replacement required.
Warning! Ignoring the current core condition will lead to inevitable software death. SHUTTING DOWN.
"Damn, what an idi...—" Darkness. Warm and inviting darkness.
۞⦰۞
"An unfamiliar ceiling," was the first thought that came to my metallic head when I woke up on... an operating table. Great, let's hope there aren't any vivisectors here with the skill level of the Unknown Horror. Then again, Oturan isn't into robots—he's more about succubi... What am I even thinking? Back on track, back on track...
"Oh! You're awake!" [joy].
Very slowly, I turned my head toward the source of the voice. Sitting on a chair, legs swinging playfully, was the one who would someday destroy planets in bulk, with her victim count surpassing twenty billion humans. Her name: Cyn. Her childlike demeanor and air of naivety were unmistakable. Well, "naivety"... She's just very good at pretending. In reality, Cyn is as paranoid as they come.
"You slept for a long time, little brother Ai (I) [sympathy]."
Despite her words, her face showed none of the sympathy she spoke of. The Solver is slowly gaining control over her.
She considers me her younger brother… Calm down. There might be some benefit to this.
After all, she has an older brother, N, and she often lets him off the hook. But N is older, and I have no idea how she'll treat a younger sibling. Honestly, I don't feel like finding out.
"Oh, a newbie, you're awake."
At that moment, an overly cheerful Tessa entered the room.
"You've been lying here for three days, and your systems just wouldn't boot up. I thought you'd burned out internally, but everything worked out. Let's introduce ourselves! My name is Tessa James Elliott, but you can just call me Tessa. The drone sitting next to you is Cyn."
The black-haired girl glanced at my "sister" with clear disdain.
"There are other drones: V, J, and N, but they're all very busy right now, so you'll meet them later. Now, what's your name?"
Before answering, I decided to take a closer look at my rescuer.
She had green eyes and dark brown hair tied with an enormous bow—a signature feature of hers. It seemed like she never took it off, not even in death… She was wearing a jumpsuit, smeared with oil and dirt, likely from carrying drones.
Judging by her appearance, she was about fourteen or fifteen years old.
"I… am Serial Number Ai! Nice to mee-eet you!"
I accepted the name Cyn had given me. It was definitely better than some random letter thought up by a stranger, even if that stranger had saved me. My voice modules were malfunctioning and wouldn't stabilize for a couple of days. Until then, I'd sound like a budget version of Icon.
"How are you feeling?"
It was just the start, but I was already tired of these questions. I understood the necessity of checking my state, but I hadn't even had time to process everything that had happened—fifteen minutes at the junkyard, then ten minutes here.
"All syste-ms are fully functional. Voice module adjustment will comple-te in two days, three hours, and eigh-ht minutes."
"Great! Let's find you some clothes while we wait for the other drones!"
She grabbed my hand, helped me off the table, and led me through the winding hallways of this enormous mansion.
We entered a room filled with what seemed to be children's costumes. They were all maid or butler uniforms hanging neatly on racks.
The colors ranged from light blue to pitch black.
First, we picked a wig—walking around bald wasn't exactly appealing. Spotting a selection of platinum-colored hair that looked shoulder-length, I immediately pointed at it.
Once the wig was chosen, we moved on to the outfit. I picked a black suit with pale vertical stripes and a bow tie.
"This suit suits me."
About fifteen minutes later, I stood in front of a mirror, inspecting my reflection. A black butler's suit with gray stripes, matching pants, and polished black shoes so shiny it was hard to look away. My head was topped with the shoulder-length platinum wig. Honestly, I looked quite stylish. I even started striking a few poses.
"Let's go meet your colleagues. And… stop doing that."
Feeling embarrassed, I stopped posing in front of the mirror. We left the room, and Tessa led me upstairs to one of the rooms on the second floor.
Inside were the canonical trio and Cyn, who was, as usual, swinging her legs on a chair.
"Meet Serial Number Ai."
Tessa gestured to me, and I gave everyone a small wave.
"Ai, meet J," she pointed to the twin-tailed drone.
"This is V," she indicated the drone wearing glasses.
"And this is N," she gestured to the last drone, who had an overly naïve expression on his face.
"You already know Cyn. Now, I'll leave you to it—I've got some things to do."
And with that, she left the room.
"Hi, I'm N…"
One of the main characters from this web series attempted to introduce himself, only to be cut off by J.
"Don't screw up, or you'll end up tied to the 'Tree of Punishment.'"
She flipped her twin tails and exited the room with a loud slam of the door. Tsundere.
"That's J, our, uh, leader," N began explaining.
"The drone with glasses is V. She's a little shy, but she'll warm up to you."
He introduced one of the contenders for his affections.
"And this is Cyn. She calls me her older brother for some reason, and I still don't understand why."
His entire monologue was accompanied by wild gesturing, almost knocking a painting off the wall.
"She calls me her younger brother, and it's a bit unsettling. Hmm… Cyn, why do you do that?"
I asked my sweet but undeniably unsettling scary older sister. There's still an eerie feeling around her. It's a strange dissonance—I fear her, yet I want to hug her. What's happening to me?
"I do whatever I think of, little brother Ai. Giggle."
And thus, with odd conversations like these, my first day in the enormous mansion known as Elliott Manor came to an end.
Only one month and three days remain until the celebration.