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 Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:45 pm
((Sorry for the wait everyone. I've adjusted the rule to make up for it.))
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:53 pm
Layla bolted down the narow streets, trying to hide in the crowd. The neon lights from the nearby street signs that advertised whatever virtual trips were popular at the moment made the faces blur. Hopefully they would interfer with whatever search pattern was being used.
The spray paint in her bag thumped against her side as she ran. Gradually she began to slow down, her ears straining for the sound of sirens. There was only the sound of a few teens humming some of the approved music as they walked down the street.
Almost without thinking she tried to drown the sound out by humming something from the banned list. Catching herself, she swore. "You're going to clow your cover without any help from your 'Doctor' name," she chuckled.
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:03 pm
Naomi was outside the VONS she called her workplace, broom in hand as she swept all litter out into the street. Of course, it wasn't much help -the heavy crowds made sweeping difficult, and they kept dragging trash with them which she would promptly have to sweep away. However, she didn't complain -this is what one of her co-workers had told her the boss wanted her to do, and she trusted her fellow VONS employee. No matter how cruel they were to here behind the scenes.
It wasn't long until her boss -well, to her, Dad- came looking for her outside. The man took one look at what she was doing and swore, hiding his eyes in his right hand, "Damn it Naomi, how many times have I told you not to listen to them?".
She stopped mid-sweep and looked up, her eyes wide with confusion. Why, she was just doing as she'd been told, and she said so,"But Dad, Nick said that you said to come out here and sweep. What reason would he have to lie to me?".
Cursing again her adopted father didn't answer -he merely turned on his heel and went back inside the corporate grocery store. Naomi stared after him for a few seconds -she had the feeling she'd missed something important- and then shrugged, returning to her sweeping. Only a few more hours and she'd be done with this shift.
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:11 pm
Layla pulled the strap on her bag tighter as she lightly jogged down the street. A few new robot ssemmed to be on the street, the latests desgns leaning more towards style than function. Most seemed to view them as walk accessories, things to brag about at parties or use to show off their wealth.
Layla shook her head, then sneezed as a pile of dust was swept into the air. Blinking, she turned and spotted someone sweeing up a walkway. Grocery store, eh? She probably ought to grab something. Something not freezedried sounded good.
She gave the girl a brief grin as she headed for the door.
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:21 pm
Such a kindly gesture from a complete stranger had a strange effect on Naomi. She smiled back, intercepting the other girl as she moved to go inside by subtly placing her broom in front of her. Naomi quickly followed, blocking the girl's entry into the store with her body while making it seem she was still only sweeping. She hardly ever met someone friendly,"Hi, welcome to VONS. Are you looking for something specific?". Her manner was bright and cheerful, perfect for a grocery store attendant. A little too perfect, perhaps.
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:28 pm
Layla blinked for a moment. Part of her delt in paranoia. It was what had kept her alive and out of the jails. There was something slightly off about the girl. Taking a step back, she shook her head slowly. "No..." she said slowly. "I was just planing on picking something up for dinner."
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:28 pm
A Happy Tiger Pet dashed down an alley way and quickly zigg-zagged away from the authorities. The shouts and sirens slowly faded as it went farther and farther away from the rest of the group Z3T5 was with, they were in the middle of working on a masterpiece when they were ambushed. Almost everyone in the resistance knew Zet. The reprogrammed Happy Tiger Pet mostly worked for 'the doctor'. The bot slowed to a stop and hid behind a pile of trash next to a building, waiting to see if anyone else in the group was able to get away.
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:37 pm
As Layla spoke the the odd girl in front of the store, her ears perked up again. Sirens. Damn. That meant either they were still on her trail (unlikely since they were comming from the wrong direction) or someone else was getting the bad end of things. She also hadn't seen Zet for a while.
She gave a low casual whistle as she spoke to the other girl, hoping Zet would pick up the sounds.
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:37 pm
Dinner? That was something she could help with!
Naomi's smile merely became salesman-like from there, and she adopted the perfect pitch and tone for trying to sell something. Ordinary customers usually found this ability of hers disturbing, but then, they were too busy buying everything she suggested to truly notice,"Well, I know just the thing for a hungry stomach looking for a late night meal! Our deli stocks some of the finest sea food outside the sea shore market! Slabs of fresh salmon, tuna, shrimp and more yours for the taking! Why, you don't even have to cook it -several of our meats are served cold, perfect for a warm night and a hot date. Unless you're eating by yourself?".
Her smile drooped some, thinking she'd messed up. Just then her "Dad" stuck his head out the door, calling her inside. Naomi blinked and turned her attention to him, her head cocking to one side as if confused,"But I'm with a customer, Dad.".
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:47 pm
Layla gave another low whistle in case Zet was near, then turned her attention the the girl in front of her. She missed the first few words because her mind was stil trying to put her finger on what was wrong with the girl. It then hit her that nothing was wrong with the girl...and that was the problem. She didn't seem to have any flaws whatsoever. That was some good plastic surgery, if that was what it was.
She felt like picking up the fish immediately. Then her eyes widened a little and she laughed. When the man came out to talk to the girl, she grinned in his direction. "Sir, your daughter is a fine salesman. I think she could sell a blind man a painting."
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:47 pm
Zet's metal ears shifted in their sockets, he heard that familiar whistle, the doctor wasnt far away. The robot calmly got out of its hiding place and made its way to the front of the building, seeing Layla standing in front of the door. Z3T5 acted as dull as it used to act before its reprogramming and wobbled over to her.
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:58 pm
The man was obviously startled but quickly controlled his features, smiling back, "Well, I do my best. Poor thing lost her parents a few months back; I adopted her under the conditions she'd be a good saleswoman. Now if you'll excuse me..."
He ducked back inside, and Naomi gave him a little wave even if he couldn't see it. She was smiling pleasantly, having completely missed his startled expression.
Once he was completely out of sight amongst the store's various aisles she turned her attention back to the woman with her, sighing happily, "It's always nice to receive such praise. Why, just today he was telling me that if I was good he'd actually try to get me a position in government. Could you just imagine that?"
It was oddly frightening how devoted she was to the ideas the government set forth, but she'd never been taught otherwise. From factory to workplace she'd been kept completely isolated, and was naive towards the happenings of every-day society. But, remembering she had a customer, Naomi quickly sharpened up and gestured for the girl to go before her into the store, bowing slightly,"Forgive me for my lapse -let's see about that fish. Shall we?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:02 pm
"Not a problem," he said. "I beleive in individual praise." She idn't put any emphesis on the word 'individual', but because it was so rarely uttered any longer outside of the courts, it stood out all on its own. Sometimes the way people reacte to he word could tell her about their loyalties. It was a long shot, but she decided to go with it anyway.
As Zet came up to her, she calmly laid a hand on the robot's head as though the owner of the automated pet, making sure it wouldn't be picked up by scavengers.
"So...how long does real fish last?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:11 pm
"A few days if put on ice. Luckily the fish are frozen when shipped to use, and then we fillet them and unfreeze them for display. If it isn't sold within two days (we refreeze them at night) then it's thrown out."
Seeking to gain the favor of the woman and the robotic feline which had suddenly appeared at her side Naomi continued, stepping towards the sliding glass door suggestively,"I'm sure we should have a few scraps for your cat if you'd like. They'll be old, but still good I think. Just don't tell Dad, okay?". A big lover of secrets, Naomi "ignored" the girl's use of the word individual. Perhaps it was some code word meant for the cat, and she wouldn't be the one to spoil it. ninja
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:18 pm
Zet didnt eat, after its reprograming, its insides were changed to hold its 'radio disrupting skills'. The bot looked up at Layla, hoping she whould know what to answer. Z3T5 then looked over at the other robot dully, hoping that it couldn't tell that the Happy Tiger Pet had been reprogramed.
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