Airalin

Strange World

Abby's eyes widened when the little red girl reappeared. Her message was a brief one - brief, but intriguing. "I'm going to follow her," said Abby without hesitation. She doubted she was being led into a trap - anyone who wanted to trick her would have had ample opportunity to do so by now. But maybe the girl was really what she looked like - a glitch in the system. "You can stay here if you want," she said, "I don't thinking this is going to be dangerous, but I can't make any guarantees."

The red girl was moving quickly, so much so that Abby didn't have time to slip her shoes back on before following her down the hallway and into the elevator. Once inside, the girl began moving downward - right through the floor. Panicking, Abby quickly pressed the button for the first floor. She bounced up and down in painstaking frustration as the doors closed far too slowly, and the elevator began to descend at what seemed like a snail's pace.

When the elevator finally arrived at its destination, Abby looked around, then pointed toward the door they'd entered through. "There!" she said; the red girl had disappeared around the corner a moment after she caught sight of her. Abby gave chase, the pavement far too rough and cold even through her stockings. Geez - how did Cam walk around barefoot? She maintained a job as she followed the girl around one corner after another, nearly losing her more than once. She was breathing far too heavily - she really ought to have taken her roommate's advice to go on more walks!

Strange World

@Classpet

"Um, I'm not sure exactly when you're from," said Abby, suddenly feeling a bit odd. "But maybe two thousand years in the future? I don't know very much about the past, though! History was always boring... the teacher would go on and on all class!" As she spoke, Abby realized that Cam probably didn't even know about school. Ugh! They had like nothing in common!

"A-anyway, we're not in that world anymore," said Abby, "We're here, despite the different times we came from. And since Adam is about as kind as that teacher, and half as useful, I doubt he'll be helping us escape." She stood up, walking across the room. In this world, she was treated like the princess she'd always wanted to be - given pretty clothing and luxurious accommodations, all for free. As she looked out the window, at the enormous city at her disposal, a thought ran through her head.

Maybe it would be better not to go home.

Her parents had been treating her like a criminal, and she'd been kicked out of college despite all her hard work in high school. What was there really for her to return to? A trial in front of some snobby judge? More fake friends who would betray her at the drop of a hat? All of that was pointless - worse than pointless!

"Think of it this way," she said, "Here, we have a fresh start. Here, the future isn't already written. You shouldn't worry about things back at home. Maybe you'll return some day, but for now, you may as well take advantage of all this neat stuff."

Strange World

Abby raised an eyebrow at Cam's questions. The trickster in her itched to tell the little girl that she was from the future, but not only was that remark corny, but Cam wouldn't get it. "The United States is the name of the country I'm from," she said as she sat on the side of the bed, "It doesn't exist in your world. Maybe you haven't noticed, but the people here come from all sorts of times and places. While there is a Rome in my world, I've never been there. and it isn't as big as it would be for you."

She sighed, slipping off her shoes and setting her stockinged feet on the windowsill. She wasn't equipped to be anyone's surrogate big sister, let alone one to a girl from a place she barely understood. She was a criminal, for goodness' sake! Yet here she was all the same, stuck with an odd little girl and too damn sentimental to just leave her on her own. Maybe this was karma getting back at her in a way that would last.

"My world has a lot more in common with this one than yours does, I think," she said. She snatched the remote control on the bedside table and turned on the TV. She flickered through the channels and eventually landed on a cartoon. The characters were completely unfamiliar to her; probably a show from some alternate reality. "We don't have flying cars - um, the things people are riding through the air - but we do have T.V.s like that one, and computers, though nothing as advanced as Adam."

Strange World

@Classpet

Abby faked a smile as Cam drew nearer to her. "Yup! It would be way too tiring to walk up to the 37th floor, so we don't. Basically, this little room we're in is a machine that carries people up and down. You press the button for the floor you want to go to, and it takes you there."

The elevator stopped with a pleasant 'ding', and Abby strolled out, into a carpeted hallway with doors lined on either end. She glanced at the key she had been given, checking the room number, and followed a series of little signs until she stood in front of their room. Inside, two large, fluffy-looking beds were backed against a wall. Abby nodded appreciatively at the wide-screen TV opposite them as she strode into the room. She stopped on the other end, in front of a tall window.

Her heart leapt as she glanced downward.

Abby had been to the city a few times before, but rarely did she stop long enough to appreciate just how tall some of the buildings really were. People moved along the streets below, appearing as little more than specks. In the distance, Abby spotted a few neighborhoods that looked like they were pulled from different times and places throughout history. Was that a pyramid? This city was far stranger than she had expected!

"Take a look," she said, unable to keep all of her awe from her voice.

Strange World

"Um, okay, let's go, then," said Abby, looking around. There were tall buildings everywhere, but she wasn't sure which of them she would be allowed to stay in. Instead of guessing, she entered the first store she found - it looked like a convenience store of sorts - and asked the clerk for help. The man offered her directions with a wide smile she couldn't help but consider sarcastic. Suppressing the urge to slap him, Abby left, navigating along wide streets with a concerned frown on her face.

Eventually, she found her way into a wide lobby with couches arranged in one corner. This ought to be the place. "Welcome to the Reeza Hotel!" said the woman behind the desk. "What can I do for you?"

"Um... I'm looking for a room. For two, I guess..." said Abby, "We'd prefer something high up."

"Very good!" said the woman, taking a key off a peg on the wall behind her. "You may take the elevator on the right to floor 37."

Of course, she didn't ask for any money. That was something Abby would have to find a way to exploit later.

"Come on," said Abby, gesturing toward the elevator. "We're going to take a ride way up high. I'll even let you press the button."

Strange World

Abby hadn't been counting on her tag-along to cry at the thought of never seeing her family again, but as she left the ice cream shop, searching for an apartment in a random direction, she questioned why she wouldn't consider the possibility. Cam, was, after all, a little girl - of course she would be afraid to never see her parents again. But Abby hadn't been thinking about that when she'd made her severe comments about Adam. So she was left to watch over the girl, gritting her teeth in frustration. Things would be so much easier if she could just explore the city on her own.

Adter brooding and barely taking in her surroundings for a while, Abby took a deep breath and stopped. "Look, I'm sorry," she said, blushing. "I'm sure we'll find a way back to our families... we'll just have to do it in spite of Adam." She frowned. Of course, her declaration of confidence was a boldfaced lie; they clearly weren't even on the same plane of existence as their previous homes. How on earth would they figure out how to get back?

Biting her lip, Abby glanced upward, at the skyscrapers looming overhead. That gave her an idea.

"Hey, want to try to get rooms way up high, with a good view?" she asked. Being from the distant past, Cam had probably never been in a building more than a few stories tall before; surely seeing the world from high above would be exciting to a kid like her. It had better be, 'cause otherwise, Abby had no clue what to do with the little girl.

Death Note(s)

There was no way Lyra was singing.

When she'd showed interest, the president of the music club had basically begged her to join. What he hadn't realized was she didn't know how to play a single instrument. His solution had been to make her a vocalist. Before even checking whether she knew how to sing. The club must be desperate indeed if they looked to her to fill such an important role.

She slammed the door behind her, fuming. All she'd wanted was the club adviser to sign one stupid piece of paper! That simple sheet was her key to freedom - her excuse not to come home right after class had ended. She'd never intended to actually attend the music club - that was just an excuse. One that, apparently, wasn't going to work. So she had to return to her prison.

In the midst of her rage, she nearly bumped into some white haired boy who was looking around as if searching for something. Why the hell did he look ready to go to a funeral? Lyra was dressed in a knee-length skirt and a t-shirt - the school's dress code didn't require students to wear stuffy clothing like this boy was wearing.

"What, do you think your clothes make you better than everyone else?" she muttered as she pushed past the boy. She was a princess, and he was just some kid - fancy clothing would never change that!

Strange World

@Classpet

"Wait," said Abby, calling to the red hologram girl, but she faded nonetheless.

"What is it with these stupid A.I.'s?" demanded Abby, taking an aggravated bite of her ice cream. "They're supposed to be helpful, but half the time their answers beg twice as many questions." Cam had been giggling during Abby's exchange with Adam. That just pissed Abby off more.

"I know you think Adam's on your side," said Abby harshly, "But we were stolen from our old lives by someone, and you can be sure Adam had something to do with it. If we never see our families again, it's his fault." Appetite fading, Abby stood and paced next to the table with her arms folded. The other hologram looked like a rogue of sorts... a virus plaguing Adam;s system. Well, the red girl had been right - Adam shouldn't be trusted, and neither should she.

"I'm going to go find an apartment or something," said Abby. "I'm already sick of these people, and I bet they're giving out rooms for free." She glanced at Cam, wondering whether the younger girl would follow.

Strange World

@Classpet

"Adam? Who is Adam?" asked Abby, taking a bite of her chocolate ice cream. She picked up another scoop with her spoon and slowly moved it toward her mouth as she awaited the younger girl's response.

She flinched back, almost knocking her chair over, when something impossibly blue appeared on top of the ice cream approaching her mouth.

"Hello! My name is Adam. I am an artificial intelligence who can assist you in adapting to your new surroundings. How may I help you?"

Abby's jaw hung open as she stared at the little man displayed in a hologram. She blinked, then pulled herself back into the moment, feeling dumb. Why shouldn't glorified computers with bodies made of light walk around in a technologically advanced city like this?

"Where the hell am I?" demanded Abby, her embarrassment fueling anger.

"You are here, sitting at a table outside an ice cream shop in the middle of this city," said Adam, infuriatingly calm as he spouted useless information.

"But which city?" Abby asked, "And why are there people from different time periods here?"

"This city," repeated Adam, "it doesn't have a name. People from a variety of eras are present because they were sent here."

Abby clenched her teeth, tempted to dump her sundae onto Adam's head. She refrained, mostly because she knew it wouldn't actually affect him. "But why were they sent here?" she asked.

"I cannot answer that question for you," said Adam.

Abby shot a frustrated glance at Cam. "How do you deal with him?" she asked. Focusing her attention back on Adam, she asked, "Are you good for anything?"

Obviously unperturbed, Adam prattled, "As the AI in charge of monitoring this city, I am responsible for a wide variety of tasks, including -"

"You deal with him," said Abby, raising her eyebrows at Cam. She leaned her head against the table and buried it in her arms, clearly at wit's end. It was so unfair that Adam could be so annoying, and there was nothing she could do to wipe that stoic expression off his goddamn face!

Strange World

@Classpet

Augustus? Abby had never taken much interest in history, but she had passed all her tests with flying colors, and she was most certain Camilla was referring to a Roman emperor - one who had lived thousands of years ago. She bit her lip, desperately searching for an answer aside from the obvious - and impossible - one. But when the girl spoke of ice cream as if it were some foreign object, Abby suspicions heightened. This place was stealing people from different times.

"Hey, Cam," she said, casually assigned the girl the nickname. "You've never heard of the United States before... have you?" Abby grabbed a handbag off of a shelf and led her companion out of the store. Ice cream sounded fine - Abby hadn't eaten any in months, and she had once been quite fond of the stuff. She scanned the shops they passed, eventually settling on what looked like a restaurant with umbrella-covered tables outside. As she took a seat, Abby struggled with the implications of her plight. If Camilla really was from ancient Rome, then Abby, too, had probably been plucked out of her time. Suddenly, the trial she'd been awaiting didn't seem like such a big deal. What was a few months of house arrest compared to being lost in a temporal abyss?

"All of this... why is it happening to us?" Abby wondered aloud. People taken from throughout history, to this odd city, all wearing gray clothing when they arrived... if there was one thing she was certain this wasn't, it was coincidence. Someone was doing this very intentionally. But who?