Disclaimer: See Chapter 1...
"Um... hello?" Looks out into audiance, hears chirping of crickets. "Anyone out there?!? :-/
To my secret reviewer, SpOoKyMuLdEr1... Thanks for checking out my little tale & sorry for taking so long to update. If PinkBeads (aka Turtle Lady) & whisperxinxthexdark are still out there, look it's chapter 3… 8-]
Chobits: Lost and Found
by Artision2001
Chapter 3: Hello, I Must Be Going...
Mornings have always been in a flurry ever since I started teaching a K9 SAR course with the local college. Up, dressed and out the door with Shelby in tow -yes he goes with me everywhere. Our routine is to make tracks in time for the early train to arrive with plenty of time to review the daily assignment before the students show up for class.
This morning seemed to carry the strangeness of last night and yesterday. Freya should be unpacking the wardrobe and package I found outside our door as I was leaving. All addressed to Ms. Freya Thompson, which struck me as very weird and I can't believe I blushed when I saw the address card.
" Eh, no time for that now - I do have a class to attend to, right Shelby?" I say to the quite monster dog laying under my bench seat as I scratch his ears.
Freya sits at the table, in the now living room, staring at a small picture frame containing a family portrait of herself, her sister, mother and father that was part of the package addressed to her. She had stored away her clothing and belongings that mother had delivered sometime in the early morning. Greg had wanted her to take it easy and settle in is what he said as he and Shelby left for the day.
Freya looked over the quick note from mother again, asking if she could stop by today. It had included a brief map and phone number. Greg, having seen the note earlier said that she had the run of the apartment and could come and go as she saw fit as long as she was careful.
Freya places the picture frame aside on the table as she hears the familiar white noise of her sister calling. Closing her eyes she answers Chi's call in their personal lan space that only the two sisters can meet and talk, Chi appears before Freya. "Good morning Chi."
"How is onee-chan this morning..?" Chi asks fidgeting as she stands before Freya.
"I am fine, Chi."
"No, onee-chan isn't fine, onee-chan thinks Chi is a bad girl." Lowering her head, Chi seems to be on the verge of tears.
Freya steps forward and embraces her sister. "No, Chi I completely understand what you did but I must handle this my way."
"Chi doesn't understand, Chi only wanted too help onee-chan..."
"As I helped you, yes and we will keep on helping each other. I'll be coming to see mother and you within the hour." Freya slowly opens her amber eyes gently disconnecting from Chi.
"Chi..?" Hideki gently touches Chi's shoulder. Chi's hair is glimmering and she has that distant look on her face. "Chi, what's wrong?"
"Chiiii..." She sighs unhappily, looking at the apartment floor.
"Chi, you were so happy last night when you were talking about your sister..." Hideki embraces Chi protectively, her arms encircle her one and only.
"Hideki," not looking up Chi's voice is slightly muffled as she speaks into his chest, "something is wrong with onee-chan..."
Hideki gently tilts Chi's chin up, his heart wrenches at her worried look. He nervously swallows then smiles to reassure her. "Oh, Chi try not to worry. I'm sure everything with your sister will be all right just like with you, just give her time..."
"Telephone, telephone! It's from the Kokubunji residence." Squawks Sumomo, causing Hideki to just about jump out of his skin.
"Connect me, Sumomo..." Answers Hideki after he quickly composes himself.
"Hai!" Replies the peppy little laptop, then her voice changes to that of the caller.
"Hello, I hope I'm not disturbing you, Mr. Motosuwa. May I speak with Chi?" Asks Yuzuki.
Freya finds that the quickest route takes her through the shopping district as she walks to the destination of her mother's apartment complex. She walks silently as she processes the list of questions she has for mother.
A sharp dressed bespeckled man with sandy hair and goatee notices a pretty girl with long white hair dressed in a hot looking dark goth number walking purposely through the shopping district. Decision made he pursues her with a quickening pace, while thinking of ways to make a first impression.
Freya stops and waits for the light before crossing the street at a busy intersection. A hand grasps her shoulder. "Hey there Miss, has anyone told you that you should be in streaming video..?"
"No, please remove your hand from my shoulder." She says flatly turning toward the overly bold man while he continues his unwanted advance.
"Eh, I see you're a persocom... It's you!" He pulls back his hand as if shocked. He turns tail and flees from the recognized 'com knocking trash cans down as he cuts through an alleyway to escape. Freya turns her attention back to the changing traffic light and continues on her way.
The last of the students file in and make their way to their seats. I make note of attendance while glancing over my lesson outline. I slowly proceed to the lectern table with my notes and my ready three-day pack. The students murmur quietly while I give them a chance to settle in for the coming lesson topic. Shelby is busily warming his favorite spot on the floor underneath the table just out of the way of my feet.
"All right class today we're going over the basics of how to be prepared for the K9 SAR on call life." I look over the class as I give the brief on survival basics in the field. Most folks don't realize that the K9 handler team may be required to sustain themselves in the field for three to five days. I go through the list of required items and empty my ready three-day pack onto the lectern table as the class looks on.
Chitose Hibiya sits across from Freya contemplating what they just discussed over a cup of green tea. Her late husband had made such special children for her with the advancement of their research into persocoms. The time and memories -good or bad- that they had as a family seemed to have been so very short. That seems to sum up the ideal of being a parent and knowing what she could or could not do for her children.
"Freya, would you object if I asked to do some diagnostic tests to confirm what you just told me?" Smiling gently as she always does she places her cup on the table.
"I have no objections, mother." Hibiya crosses the room and activates the hidden switch that opens the door to her basement lab. Hibiya looks over her shoulder to Freya then descends into the lab.
After an hour into going over the contents of my three-day and five-day pack my cell and then pager go off, interrupting the lesson. I call the class rep down to take over the lesson via overhead presentation while I take the call outside in the hall. The class is pretty much used to the calls Shelby and I make up an active K9 SAR team after all.
As soon as I got a couple of the details for the K9 SAR callout I briefed the class while gathering my five-day pack as well as our equipment that I store in my faculty locker. Shelby paces back and forth sensing my 'working' tone of voice while I turn the class over to the rep and make arrangements for a sub for the rest of the week and a taxi to meet us in front of the college. I'm forgetting something while I go down my mental list as Shelby and I make our way to the front of the college. "Oh - well, all in a days work -eh, monster dog."
As soon as Freya had entered the spare room and was clear of the secret door Hibiya closed it then reconcealed the switch. The diagnostic gave her much to consider... a tap - tap on the apartment door distracted her. "Just a moment," Hibiya said as she opened the door with Freya not far behind her. "Oh, Chi are you here to visit with Freya and I?"
"Chi wanted to ask onee-chan to come with Chi to Kokubunji's."
"That would be all right," Freya nods in approval.
"Chi, would you be a dear and wait for Freya in the courtyard?" Asks Hibiya, still in between the two sisters.
"Chi!" She chirps and nods in agreement.
Hibiya quickly retrieves her broom and apron while Freya looks on. "Freya, I'm not sure what it could be but let me look over my husband's notes and I'll call on you."
"I'll be waiting for your call mother." Replies Freya as they make their way to meet Chi in the courtyard.
"We'll be going now," chirps Chi as the two sisters start to leave together.
"Take care of yourselves," said Hibiya in her motherly tone while she prepared to sweep down the courtyard walkway.
"So, Chi why are we going to Kokubunji's?" Freya asked as they walk out of the courtyard.
"Yuzuki has offered to help Chi and onee-chan learn how to take care of our homes."
Hibiya had that familiar tug of pain at her heart as she watched her girls go on their way. Once they were out of sight she went to the task of sweeping down the sidewalk. As she swept she wondered where to start looking for the specific notes about Freya in her late husband's journals and if they would even help.
Shelby lays quietly on the taxi floor board while I quiz my classic mobile pda on the area we could be working in for any info on the weather and fire conditions. "Looks like we're on a callout to find some missing hikers in the Hokkaido National Forest area." I say quietly to Shelby.
"How much longer until we reach the municipal airport?" I quiz the driver.
"As long as the traffic cooperates, about twenty to thirty minutes."
I look at my watch to note the time then unconsciously scratch Shelby on his favorite spot between his ears while looking out the taxi window.
Yuzuki wasted no time integrating Freya and Chi into the daily workings of the Kokubunji household. Starting off with the laundry Yuzuki instructs on the process as the two follow along. While the household maid 'coms work through each stage of the chore Chi opens the door to the running washer, dumping the sudsy water and clothes to the floor. The maid 'coms rush to clean up the mess as Yuzuki tells Chi that it's okay to make mistakes while she's learning.
On to the next task of preparing dinner, Yuzuki explains about safely setting up for the coming meal. Chi tries to show what she already learned about cooking. "Chi's left hand is a cat's paw when cutting vegetables, stir the food while it cooks, and checking the rice..." While going through the various items she mentions.
"That's very good Chi you must have had a great teacher." Yuzuki compliments Chi as she continues to teach the two about the meal that is being prepared which includes stir-fried vegetables. Chi does a good job of minding the pan and Freya works close by with other components of the menu. While Chi is moving the contents around the oil shoots up a flash of fire.
"Chi!" Chirps Chi, surprised by the fire hops backwards knocking Yuzuki over and they both land on their butts. Freya quickly steps up from the background and puts the fire out with a wash towel then turns off the burner before the quickly recovered Yuzuki can ruin the food with a fire extinguisher.
After collecting our gear from the trunk, I pay the driver. Shelby and I head for the check in area provided for our SAR callout group. I take in the ever familiar sights and sounds of the municipal airport. The busy activity of a ground crew taking care of a modified C-130 cargo aircraft draws my attention.
Mesmerized I watch as a ground crewman signals the pilot to start the outboard engine. The high pitched whine of the engine and the blast of exhaust fumes overwhelm my senses and starts to trigger that dark memory again.
Sensing my hesitation, Shelby head butts the back of my leg bringing me back to the present. I pick up my gear that I don't remember dropping and give the monster dog a pat on the head. I try to shake the cobwebs out of my mind as I adjust my field bag and start looking for our Situation Captain.It's twilight, at another airport, as I walk with my brothers and sister in arms towards a modified C-130 military aircraft. A ground crewman signals the pilot to start the outboard engine. The high pitched whine of the engine and the blast of exhaust fumes assault us as we enter the rear cargo area...
With the food prep left in the hands of the maid 'coms, Yuzuki goes over the basics of cleaning and dusting. "The Kokubunji home is modernized in that an automated vacuum takes care of the floor and is on a daily schedule." Explains Yuzuki, "So all we have left is dusting, straightening things up and returning items like books and such to where they belong."
As if on cue the autovac enters the room and proceeds to work its way through the room. The autovac makes its way through the room avoiding the furnishings, passing by Freya and Yuzuki. The autovac then makes a beeline for Chi as she's just putting away an arm full of books. Chi turns around when the autovac bumps into her foot. Chi tilts her head as if to innocently study the errant autovac while it backs up a little bit then starts to spin around and around like a high tech top.
Yuzuki and Freya now curious stop what they are doing and approach the spinning autovac and Chi. Chi's hair starts to shimmer as she tries to 'talk' to the autovac. The autovac stops spinning, growls menacingly, ejects its attachments and explodes its full bag of dirt and dust in a huge cloud on the three surprised persocoms.
As the dust settles, Yuzuki makes a note to schedule the autovac for maintenance. Yuzuki looks from Chi to Freya, "Would you two like to freshen up before we continue," she asks.
Shelby and I catch up with the Situation Captain and a few other SAR team members. We chat a bit before the formal callout briefing about some of the potential problems that will affect the speed of getting the teams to the airport nearest to the missing hikers. The Situation Captain points out what the major problem on the map for us is being that the closest municipal airport for us to use is closed due to a forest fire in that region. The only lucky break seems to be that police in the region located the missing hikers vehicle.
Taking this all in I suggest letting a team jump to the area that the vehicle is located and start looking there while the rest of the teams are airlifted to the alternate municipal airport in that area then double back over land as quick as possible. The SAR team members are uncomfortably silent as the Situation Captain considers the pros and cons of my suggestion.
Yuzuki watches Chi and Freya as they work together to make quick the task of drying her long blue hair. At a glance Yuzuki notes that she can barely tell the two pretty persocoms apart now that they are both wearing identical bathrobes. Chi is humming her cute 'Chi' song while working on one of Yuzuki's braids. Chi is so innocently open with a highly emotive countenance and quick to smile. On the other braid, Freya is quietly reserved. Throughout most of the day she had maintained a polite yet neutral countenance. Yet Yuzuki seemed to notice that Freya's eyes would darken from time to time. Looking closer into their reflections in the vanity mirror Yuzuki notes the differences and files them away for future use.
"Chi, when can we expect Mr. Motosuwa?" Inquires Yuzuki, politely.
"Hideki said he has school, then he has to go to the library, then he would meet Chi here at Kokubunji's for dinner."
"What about you, Freya? Your owner..."
"Greg is Freya's owner, right onee-chan." Chirps Chi.
"Yes, Greg and Shelby." adds Freya.
"So who are Greg and Shelby?" Asks Yuzuki.
"Greg and Shelby found Freya, right onee-chan." Chirps Chi.
"Oh, so they are someone new. Is that correct Freya..?" As polite as Yuzuki is, curiosity gets the best of her.
"Yes," replies Freya quietly.
"Would you like to invite them over for dinner, we do have plenty of room." Comments Yuzuki with a polite smile...
Everyone in the cargo hold of the C-130 looks at me as I try to ignore my ringing cell phone. Finally, miffed and curious enough that it seems to refuse to go to voice mail I hookup the earpiece answer the call.
"Greg Thompson." I answer, all business like and a little short on patience.
"Oh, Freya -- Hello, excellent timing..." My demeanor must have changed a little to fast, I turn away from knowing looks and stares from some of the other SAR Team members.
"What?" I continue on trying to concentrate on what Freya is saying, "Uh, no that's okay--"
No, please give my thanks for the invite but I cannot attend today. I could another day though--"
"You know about the SAR callout--"
"Right, you routed the call--"
"Yeah, I expect to be in the field five or more days--"
"No that's okay, please take precautions, especially at night--"
"I'll call you when I expect to return--"
"Okay, sorry you have the apartment to yourself, have fun..."
As I hang up and put my phone away I can feel the others' questioning eyes upon me, ignoring it, I look over Shelby's gear for the third time then mine. I roll my eyes as I glimpse the others make the 'girlfriend' hand sign as they gossip amongst their conclusion jumping selves.
Seeing my plight the Situation Captain comes to my rescues by handing me over to the Load Master. Then he reminds all involved what's important, the SAR callout and has the others go over their gear.
The Load Master, being the flight crewmember in charge of opening and closing the C130's payload doors in the air or on the ground, goes over the pre-jump checklist with me. I use the time to go over modified GPS/Winds Aloft PDA for the latest info on my jump destination.
The Load Master helps me with setting up my five day pack across my chest and Shelby fastened to the parachute harness at my waist with his modified backpack/jump harness rig. Shelby grunts with impatience as the Load Master tightens the fittings.
Ready for 'war' I make our way to the payload doors. I frown as the Load Master hooks the static line to my parachute cord. I give the Situation Captain a non warm look over my shoulder.
"Your idea, my rules," is all he has to say.
"Yeah, you sure know how to take all the fun out of it all..."
From the window of the apartment Freya watched as Hideki and Chi left the apartment courtyard. She stood there silently until they were out of sight. Errant rays of the crescent moon caught her amber eyes and she stared for a time then reached up to touch it. Her eyes darkened slightly as she touched the glass barrier of the window instead of the crescent moon.
Hideki wrapped his arm protectively around Chi as they headed for their apartment after walking Freya home. Full from dinner at Kokubunji's, tired from the day's studies and the surprise call from Shinbo he reflected on the evening filled with meeting Freya.
"Is Freya really that different from Chi..? He murmured aloud.
Chi seemed to be saddened by that statement but hid it by hugging closer to Hideki.
It was a little strange to find out about Greg and Shelby over a couple of downloaded news files that Freya used as the answer to who they were and where they were. Hideki just couldn't understand, Freya was so much different from the one that surfaced in Chii from time to time. To top it off the short conversation between Minoru and Freya echoed freshly in his mind.
"So, you're the other persocom of legend," Minoru mused as he considered Freya thoughtfully.
"No," Freya answered quietly shaking her head, "I'm just a persocom."
End of Chapter 3
Hey, what's Chobits without a little confusion? That's it 'til chapter four, which is in the works. Email what you think to Artision2001yahoo.com, I'll take it under advisement. Flames, extinguished as necessary.