2 YEARS LATER
[Classified Location]
A flock of doves flew in the beautiful blue sky. All white, a beautiful canvas against the clouds. The gentle wind ruffled their feathers. Endless trees passed below them. Each bird maintained a perfect trail beside the other, as if they were in sync.
The dove in front…the leader. It was larger than the others. Mostly likely a mutation. It glanced at its followers before making a decision. Tucking in its wings, it dipped below the trees. The others immediately copied the leader.
Wings unfurled under the canopy as the flock avoided tree branches and foliage. A peaceful flight had become an obstacle course. Squirrels were scared away from their hiding spots, grabbing their chestnuts and running up trees.
After multiple barrel rolls and interesting tricks, the largest dove reached a clearing between the trees. The sound of water echoed peacefully through the land. A river had appeared.
The sun's warm rays were focused on this specific river. Each ripple and droplet shined under the attention. Whitetail Deer could be seen frolicking the area. Perfect for a rest. The leading dove landed at the riverbank with multiple beats of its wings. Its flock landed right after.
The dove took a sip of the clear running water. Only once it was satisfied did it bother with anything else. Turning its head, its gaze landed on the loghouse cabin in the distance.
One of the windows was open. It always was. Flapping its wings, the large dove perched on the window sill. Bird feed was already waiting. Ignoring the figure sitting in front of the window, it ate.
The chair was a mix of wood and synthweave material, made for extreme comfort. It was a rocking chair. A beautiful woman was currently using it. Dressed in a simple white sundress, her silk black hair fell loosely past her shoulders.
It was Loralei. Her gaze was empty as she faced the window. The beautiful scenery, the running river, the dove on the sill, the deer…none of it registered. She was silent and still. Thoughtless.
Soft clattering could be heard behind the beautiful doll. A lovely aroma wafted throughout the warm home. It smelled delicious. If one looked in the kitchen, they'd see a head of curly white hair cooking a delicious meal.
The white haired woman stirred the pot with a ladle. Bringing it to her lips, she tasted the sauce. Her hand went to her chin in thought before she nodded and added another dash of seasoning.
"I think I've created something special this time." Nana called out to Lei.
"...."
"You'll love this one. Just you wait." She continued.
Nana constantly spoke to Loralei, always gentle. The twin made sure to finish the side dishes before turning off the fire. Walking over to Lei, she casually fixed the lovely doll's hair. The breeze had slightly moved some strands.
"Don't worry about Emi. You know her…can't stay in one place for too long. I'm sure she'll return soon." Nana said.
It almost seemed as if she was convincing herself. Forcing her saddening expression into one of calm, she kissed Loralei on the forehead. She then kneeled in front of her senpai and squeezed her hand.
"The food is ready. I'll go tell the others."
Nana left the room. As she passed the closet, she paused. Her gaze went to the beam saber that rested on the counter. The infovisor that usually accompanied it was gone.
'Emi…' Nana thought before walking out.
It didn't take long to reach the front porch. Two men could be found lazing around. One was old with a cane. The other was young. Nana rapped her knuckles on the wall.
"Food's ready. Come get it while it's hot." She announced before going back inside.
The two men glanced at her back profile as she left. Only then did they glance back at each other. The old man smiled.
"Tell me…why did you come here?"
"To check up on that gonk."
"Hahaha! Johnny, you haven't visited this place even once. Checking up on Lei? You can fool Nana, but you can't fool me."
"...Shut up old man. You already have one foot in the grave." Johnny Silverhand said.
"I think I have a few years left in me." The old man chuckled.
"A doctor knows best."
"Good thing I'm a doctor then. Once Nana got you a body, you disappeared. I bet Nana wants to ask you a bunch of questions…"
"If she had questions then she should ask."
"Well, you know how she is. The girl is afraid of the answer."
"...About Emi?"
"Obviously."
"I saw her in Seattle once. She was wearing Lei's gear. Wearing her infovisor too. Hope that emotional brat finds what she's looking for."
"Oh? Do you know what she's looking for?" Parzik asked. Johnny scoffed.
"I know because I was looking for the same thing once."
"Money? Medicine? Something high tech?" The old man wondered. The arrogant merc shook his head.
"Redemption. Forgiveness." Johnny said.
"Well…it's been a long time…you know…she...Ah…" The old man lost his train of thought. It would take a while to remember his words.
Johnny sighed in annoyance. Parzik should stay in a nursing home at this point. Old ass man. Can't even finish his train of thought. Whatever. After he finished his cigarette, he'd go inside for a meal.
There was a moment of silence as the arrogant man smoked his cigarette. The constant chirping of birds, the sound of the running river. It was peaceful. He popped a small grin.
'Good for her. This place is perfect for that gonk.' He thought.
Eventually, Johnny tapped Doctor Parzik on the shoulder. His expression was serious. The old man raised an eyebrow at his expression. It soon turned into a knowing smile.
"Ah…so that's why you came to visit." The old man said.
"Will it work?"
"I can't give a clear answer to that."
"What's the chances of it working?"
"There are no percentages. It will either work…or it won't."
"Damnit. That's not enough."
"Do you not believe in her?"
"The last time I believed in that gonk, I was wrong."
"Are you sure you were wrong? Last time I checked, Loralei isn't an AI going around plotting world domination right now."
"....."
Sometimes, the old man would casually say the wisest things. He would drop advice so naturally as if it was nothing. Johnny was at a loss for words. Still, he found the courage within.
"Johnny? You alright?"
"Go get something to eat, Parzik. I'll be right behind you."
"Alright, alright. Don't brood for too long. Lei wouldn't like it."
"...Piss off."
The old man struggled to his feet. With his bottom lip wriggling back and forth, he slowly made his way inside the cabin. The tap of his cane slowly grew silent.
Johnny stepped off the porch and tossed his cigarette. He stamped it out under his boot. Before he could return to the cabin, a loud noise sounded nearby.
SMACK
The cocky merc turned toward the riverbank. Two male deer had rammed their antlers together. Now they were stuck. Johnny sighed. Bunch of idiots.
As the two deer tugged and pulled to get free, the merc made his way over. He casually grabbed both antlers and freed them. No longer stuck to the other deer, one grunted before running back to the river. The other licked Johnny's hand.
"Yeah, you're welcome." He grunted.
He pet the animal before turning away. His gaze went to the closest window as he took a few steps. Then he saw her. Loralei was sitting there. He couldn't help but freeze. She was beautiful. Not only that…he noticed something. His eyes widened.
A large white dove was on the window sill. It wasn't eating the bird feed. Instead, it was staring at Lei. It tilted its head left and right, trying to figure out what was up with this human in front of it. That wasn't all.
The lovely girl was staring right back. Her gaze was focused on the bird. There was no change of expression, but her empty eyes had focused on it. Eventually, the dove grew bored and flew away. Its flock followed after it, going high above the trees.
Lei's gaze followed the flock of birds as it left. All this happened within Johnny's sight. Nobody inside the cabin had noticed. Not Nana who was setting the table behind Lei, nor the old man who was barely reaching the table.
Johnny clenched his fists. It was time. He made his decision. It was now or never.
…
…
…
After a delicious meal, Nana watched as Johnny kneeled before Loralei. His left hand wrapped under her soft legs, while his right kept her back and neck supported. Only then did he lift her up.
"Gonk." He muttered in her ear.
Johnny kept her close. He was gentle with her. Nana and Parzik followed behind him. As they reached the front porch…he looked at them. Then he looked at the beautiful doll in his arms.
"Let's go." He grunted.
Unknown to Loralei, an unread message had been blinking in her HUD. The message dated back almost two months. Unopened. Unread. Unable to be read.
'Just met a woman up here who claimed to know you. Know a Lucy? She didn't seem too happy. Something must've happened to her recently. Anyways…I'm returning the favor. Thank you, Loralei.' ~ Songbird.
[The End]