Michele smiles, remembering why she was here in the first place. It was all a ruse, an elaborate ruse that had begun as a simple wish for company on Miki’s behalf, and ended with the choosing of one being on Earth, who would accompany Michelle back. Michelle had met that one being, and through her research, knew he was the one she had to take back with her. Centuries and millennia of searching nearby systems had finally led her here, where her latest stop was. She settled in a decade or so ago, under the guise of a school teacher. Not soon after, she met Elladan, and decided he was the one.
Michele smiles again, deeper. “Have a seat. I have something for you.”
He nods, and follows her into the foyer, where her work desk was. He sits in a chair opposite her. “What’s up?”
As he speaks, he hears a musical chime emit from the wall near him. Startled, he looks over, trying to identify the noise. After a while, he turns back to Michelle.
“Remember I told you about a test we are conducting and I needed a test subject ?”
Elladan nods. “Yes, you said something about that. What about?”
In through a door walks a young woman dressed in a black uniform . She has short brown hair, and green eyes, and her body is average-sized. She could’ve been anyone in the city, she seemed so… average. Very maid-like. She gracefully walked over to the place he had heard the chime.
Elladan watched, curious, then turns back to Michele. He’d never recalled her having a maid before.
The woman picked up a box from a slot in the wall. It’s about 12 inches by 3 inches by 2 inches. She then walked over to between Elladan and Michelle.
Michele smiles. “I would like you to meet someone.”
He watches. “Oh?”
She nods. “This is Nana . Nana, I would like you to meet Elladan.”
He looks over at the woman and offers a handshake. “How do you do?”
The lady looks at him. She takes his hand softly and says, “ Nana is very pleased to meet you, sweetheart.”
He blushes a bit and smiles politely. Sweetheart. Charming nickname, but he considers himself too old for such pet names. He looks to Michele. “What about her?”
Michelle elaborates, “she’s not human Elladan.”
Elladan looks back and forth between the two girls. He can’t tell any obvious differences between them as humans. “Oh?”
“She’s an AI construct called NANA- bot “
He looks confused for a bit, then nods. “Ah… well, she’s very lifelike. Is she your project?”
Michelle nods. “It is my project. And it seems she has a gift for you too. Nana, show him what you have for him.”
He looks up. Nana holds the box in front of her and opens it. Inside is a very ornate collar, with a large jewel in the setting. It appears very expensive, and..
Elladan pauses, feeling a cold tingling in his mind. He’s suddenly unable to describe or think about the collar. He struggles briefly with the sensation, before tearing his eyes away. The feeling subsides. “Isn’t this a dog collar?”
Michelle shakes her head. “No. That we have been looking for a test subject is not exactly the truth.” She turns to the droid. “Nana … please place the collar on him.”
Elladan’s eyes dart to her, then the necklace. He is both confused and afraid suddenly, feeling the cold sensation creep back into his mind, numbing his thoughts and actions. Why can he suddenly not move? He tries to turn around, but finds himself glued to the spot as the Nana-bot quickly places the collar around his neck, clicking it closed.
The collar is suddenly shut and tightened around Elladan’s neck. It is securely fastened, but loose enough for him to be comfortable still. As he can feel the tingling sensations continue, he is just able to get his hand to the collar’s fastener. It won’t budge.
Then, he goes numb. Suddenly, it feels like his entire life is rushing around him, a maelstrom of thoughts and memories being churned around and re-organized.
Then, it all stops. There is a calm peace in his mind. Unable to resist, he is point-blank ordered… ordered by whatever the collar’s doing to his mind. He can hear one thought, overwhelming and uncompromising: “Comply.”