Sidestory: Reflections

[Jsc]

Star Wars Sidestory: Reflections​

A Closed Thread​

​

John Merrill
Apartment 4039

John awoke to the sounds of a new morning. White sheets, white room. White house, white district. His house. His district. On a world far far away. Everything else. It... It must have all been a dream.

Light filtering in from the blinds and stung his senses. He fluttered his eyes and coughed. The chill of morning filled his lungs. The thoughts of a cold floor taunting him. The memory of another busy day ahead welcomed him back into the soft comfort of his sheets. He breathed in a warm bed and felt almost familiar now. Letting the echo of another life fade. No more reflections. No more dreams. It was almost time to get up. He breathed in deep and turned over. Looking at his alarm for his next subtle que. 6:29. Almost in time for the buzzer. Mm. Lucky me.

A cold morning and a happy warm bed. Sleeping, stirring. Beside him shifted a familiar female form. Stirring him away from a second sleepy slumber. She sighed and softened. Breathed out and turned over. Musing in her sleep. The woman of his dreams. A new friend who he knew would always be waiting for him. Somehow. He always knew that. Another echo of the mind.

*buzz buzz buzz

John shifted and clasped down on the alarm. Rising up to sit and slap his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Tired, dry. Breathing in deeply and awakening again to another white morning. White sheets, white room. White house, white district. My house. My room. My sheets.

"My district."

/ Aha! Good morning sir. Did you sleep well?

"Cogsworth? Is that you?"

/ Indeed it is sir. I've installed myself into your wall television set to better assist you in early rising. The misses thought...

"Hey. Shush. She's sleeping. Let's keep it down. Okay."

John grimaced at the cold tile floor as he shuffled into the small adjacent bathroom. Slidding the thin door shut and pushing the button on the mirror. A smiling yellow face appeared as he moved to the seat.

/ Ah. Terribly sorry about that sir. I forgot the misses arises at another hour. My apologies.

"Don't worry about it Cogsworth." He sighed to the digital face in the mirror. Still frowning from the morning chill, "Floor Cogs. Floor."

/ Of course sir. Heating the floor now. Shall I add that to next morning agenda too?

"Sure." John sighed as he flushed. Seemingly very very aware he was talking with his computer half naked.

/ Excellent. Glad to see you are making good time this morning. Your coffee is ready for you in the kitchen. Breakfast will be served immediately and Ms Roberts will be on here way to pick you up exactly following. I wish you a happy and...

*click

John leaned over and pushed the button to silence his household helper. Ah... Better. Finally. A little peace and quiet. He smiled and stood up. Pulled back the shower curtain and yawned. Noticing himself in the mirror just beyond. Hmm. Should probably shave today too. That might take a moment. Make him a little late. Put him behind schedule again. Meh... Who cares. Let Cogsworth worry about that one. Jorus Merrill doesn't mind himself being a few minutes late.

John.

What? He looked up and thought he heard his reflection offer. What. (My name is John.) Yeah. Right. I know that. (Good.) Okay then. Ugh. He shook his head and took off his night shirt. Yeah. It was time to wake up now. No more sleep. No more dreams.

No more reflections.

___

...

Somewhere in the galaxy [member="Jorus Merrill"] had gone to sleep. Yet today. He was waking up. A whole new man.

___

 

[Jsc]

Chapter One: Awakenings​

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Sara Roberts
Skyhold Residential - Parking Garage

"You're late. ...Again."

"Yep."

John smirked sourly and marched right past the blue haired woman. Holding his coffee close to his chin in both hands. His ride frowned. She was used to this. Turning about slowly to follow him towards the parking meters,

"I don't know how you do it John. Every morning I say seven o'clock. Yep. I'll be right there to pick you up at seven o'clock. You say. Okay Sara. I'll see you then. Yet every morning it's the same story. You coming strolling out of your apartment complex at exactly seven eighteen. On the dot. As if nothing is wrong with the world. Ugh."

John frowned and sighed aloud. He knew this routine. It was just usual now. She reminded him of that fact every morning as they walked to her car.

"Ya know Sara? Can we skip the lecture this morning. I had Cogsworth talking to me on the latrine this morning and I really don't need another pep talk. Just, trust me."

"Oh. Great. Yep. Now there's a sight for ya. Ha. Well good. Maybe he'll help you actually be on time for a change. Have him time you and throw you out the door."

She moved to her car with a quick cold step and stopped for a moment to think. Smirking deviantly as she leaned against the car to mention it aloud,

"Say? John? Hm. What's it like to shower in the morning with your computer anyway? Should I tell all the guys at work that you, ya know. Highly recommend it?"

John stopped at the edge of the vehicle to give her a sideways glance. She was still smiling. So he rolled his eyes and his arms,

"Ugh. Sara. Just. ...Get in the car."

He slipped inside the vehicle as she smiled to herself. Pretty as a peach. Ah. He was such a morning person. All frown and no fun. She ducked inside the car and closed the door. The cabin was already warm and toasty.

"Ya know. I wouldn't harass you so much if you didn't leave me waiting out in the cold so often. Look at the T-meter. It's freezing this morning. They don't make T-jackets for this elevation. I practically turn into a Popsicle just waiting for you to show out here. Did you know that?"

"Yeah yeah." He frowned and sipped his hot coffee. Letting her usual ragging manner just slide right off. He sighed and yawned. Just glad that Cogsworth knew how to make a cup of good coffee and keep it hot. His one respite of the day. An automated kitchen. The perks of having a fully automated home I guess. Too bad it still had it's creepy side and all. Not everybody liked the 24/7 computer helpers. All the watching, all the talking. Mm. Guess he was just used to it by now. Mm. Yeah. A passing care. It was nothing. John shook his head and went to turn on the radio. Suddenly stopping and leaving his finger to hover in the air just above the center console. Oh, right. Suddenly remembering that Urban cars don't have radios. Just Imperial Music players. Goverment players. Sanctioned, slotted, and safe.

"Hey. John. What's up with you this morning? You seem pretty spaced out. Even for you."

"Nothing." He flinched and sat back in his seat. Holding his hot coffee tightly. Thinking. Just. Weirded out by something. "Just... Um. Bad dreams I guess."

Sara Roberts turned and regarded her copilot with some suspicion. She could tell when something was up. They'd been riding to work together for years now. She knew was John was thinking something through. She knew when he was plotting. This. This wasn't just that.

Roberts turned the steering wheel and brought them out of the parking stall. Working the car out of the parking garage and out into the skylanes. Travel in the sky. The endless traffic system that was perfect for a city in the sky. A white sky. For a white district.

"Well. Ya know John. I suppose a woman can do that to you. Makes you wonder. Hmm. Did you... Um. Did you remember her birthday?"

"What? Yeah. No. ...That's not it. It's fine. Look. It's nothing. Nevermind. Just... Running a little behind today. That's all."

"Sure. What ever you say man." She looked back at the skylanes with a nod, "...Just. Whatever you say."

Merrill looked out the window and brought his mug close to his chin. Frowning. Thinking. Wondering. Letting the silver towers pass them by. Looking at his own reflection in the glare. Remembering something. It was like,.. Forgetting something. Watching his own face change. No. He was on his way to work now. Time to wake up and stay focused. Leave the white memories of home behind.

John turned and looked to the driver's seat. Karen was there. Just like she always was. Waiting for him to show up so they could start their day. Always cold, always chilly. She liked to tease him to wake him up. Tease him that she was single and he was taken. Remind him about still having her 'singles card' and all the fun that it used to bring. He looked to the ID card that hung around her neck. Just below her vibrant blue hair. Always below her vibrant blue hair. His card looked just like hers. Their: Urban Robotics Identification Badge. Everybody who worked in R&D got one. Just like her.

Karen.

"Sara."

She turned, "Hmm?"

He starred. Blinking twice. Getting that weird feeling again. So he shook his head and waved his hand away.

"Um. Nothing. Nevermind."

Roberts raised an eyebrow and looked down at her badge. Then returned her eyes to the road ahead. Man. He really was having a bad day today. The chill must have gotten to him this morning. Or they argued last night or something. Go figure. That was a Merrill for ya. Who even knows what goes on in the brilliant mind of his. It really was anybodies guess.

Sara smirked and looked up at her rear view mirror. Stopping to see the road. Stopping to just, see herself. New. As if for the first time. Her eyes betrayed something. Brown hair. Blue hair. The memories began to fade. Remembering something. Forgetting something. Feeling, ...something. But what? She looked back at John and blinked. He was still yawning. So she looked back at the road and then back at the rear view mirror.

Mm. That was funny. She thought as she settled back into her morning routine. She was starting to feel a little weird herself too.

___

 

[Jsc]

The Status Quo
Urban Robotics

His office was on the third floor overlooking the lobby entrance. A room with a view. Merrill kept the blinds pulled just so, so that he could watch the coming and goings of the people down below. It was entertaining that way. The other side of the glass office just faced the lab elevator and that was rather boring to look at the paint job all day. Sara kept her office on the fourth floor just above and was always out of sight. Which was probably a good thing. Otherwise she'd take that laser pointer of hers and try to shine the light in his eyes again from across the chandelier causeway. Gods. He hated when she did that. She was the worst.

"..Yo. Merrill. Knock knock." Came a rap on is half open door,

"Yeah. Oh hey. What's up Steve." John spun around in his chair and rubbed his eyes.

"Good your not busy. Look, I was wondering if you could take some notes for me during the Imperial Fireside today. I'm going to be down in B-Labs working on the new Synth Blood Packets and covering for Terry. Think you could you do that for me?"

John shrugged, "Why? It's not like the government says anything important during those daily speeches anyway. It's all just the same BS as last week. Stay safe. Mind the Drones. Wash your hands. ...Who cares?"

Steve just shook his head and put one foot out of the office. John was such a liberal citizen. He should have known better.

"Look. Just take notes if anything important comes up okay. Not all of us take our citizenship as loosely as you do, alright? Some of us actually talk to our government issued councilors. Just try to pretend you're a normal person today? Alright?"

"Sure Steve. Whatever you say."

He gave a gloriously fake smile and waited for the other employee to take the hint. Steve just sighed and ducked out of the office. Pressing the lab elevator button and frowning. Almost audibly annoyed. That kind of made John smile inside. Something about pissing off the green badge citizens around this place gave him warm fuzzies. Government brown nosers. All of em.

He spun back around in his chair and returned his eyes to the computer screen ahead. He still had plenty of coding to do before his next big robotics project was finished. The Director probably wouldn't ask for his Holodisc until Friday but it never hurts to get ahead early. Especially with these big government funded projects. Never know when the Holonet is going to call for another mandatory Imperial Loyality Broadcast or Friendship Speech. Ugh. What a waste of time.

Merrill reached for his mug again when another tap came at his door. This time it was Sara.

"John. What's up. Saw Steve going to the Labs muttering about you. Anything special this time?"

"The usual. His lips were getting chapped from all the butt kissing. You know how it is. ...What's up?"

"Friedman asked for my navigation report early today. The whole thing. Said that they had already contracted out to get themselves a new neural network drive specialist. So, it looks like my work week just a lot easier. I'm getting free vacation time until next Sunday. Whoop whoop."

She danced around the doorway lightly and smiled. Nobody ever got that lucky in this building. John leaned back with a smirk at her good fortune,

"Wow. That's great news. I think I'm going to be stuck here tonight working overtime. Those morons down in C-Block keep messing up my materials code. I've done the same circuits now for three days because of those guys. Jeez."

Sara smiled and folded her arms. Figures.

"Anyway John. I came by to see if you needed a ride to work for Thursday. Since, you know? I'll probably be on my balcony all weekend enjoying myself deliciously."

"Ah right. ...Nah. Don't worry about it. I'll take the tram tonight and get Debbie to lend me her car for the rest of the week. I'll think of something."

Sara just shook her head with disbelief. John. Driving? Ha. That was a good one. He couldn't plot a Hyperspace course to save his life. Let alone drive on the freeway.

"Ha. You? Driving? That sounds like a recipe for disaster."

"Oh come on. It was one time? Look..."

"Hush!"

Sara quickly jumped into John's office and closed the door. Then she jumped behind his chair as he attempted to protest,

"Sara!?"

"Productivity drone. Just look busy."

John scoffed and turned about to pretend to be working. The large white orb floated past his office outside. It's single red eye looking about the hallways for anything suspicously out of place. Lazy workers or wandering robots. The usual. It floated past the glass office and back on down the stairways. Leaving Roberts to lean back against the bookshelf and let out a sigh of relief.

John chuckled, "Ya know. For a woman who works with robot brains all day. You sure hate those things. Don't ya?"

She balled up in the corner and shook her blue head. Yeah,

"I might build the brains Merrill. But I sure don't know what they fill them with these days. Flippin' robots. Soon they'll replace us. You'll see."

He smiled, "You're paranoid. The HRD project was a total failure. They ain't even close to replacing us."

"Oh yeah. Then why did they keep everyone from the Materials Group back at BreakNet? For a scrapped project it's still kind of weird all the same people work together making the same darn things. Steve even says that the Labs contract out with them from time to time. Sounds like a project that's still chugging along just fine to me."

"Storage space Sara. They rent out our Cryofridges for parts storage. Everybody down in C-Labs already knows that. Look... Don't you have a vacation to be sorting out right now? Not hiding like a schoolgirl in the back of my office."

Sara made pouty face and hesitated to stand. Fine. Be that way. Mr Anti-Conspiracy.

"Mm. Fine. But I wanted to give you house key too. ...Here. It's a spare."

"Oh? What for?"

"I'm actually not going to be decorating my balcony this weekend. I'm planning on going out of town to visit my cousin. But my dog needs a babysitter?"

John turned about in chair. Pretty surprised at the comment. Not that he was against it, of course.

"Doesn't your house have an Assistant? Like Cogsworth?"

"Yeah. But I tinker with him sometimes. It's against protocal, I know. But my dog hates the computer. So I feed him manually. In a bowl and stuff. ...Think you can handle that for the weekend? If not I'll get someone else."

John waved that comment away and grabbed his mug. It was fine.

"No no. It's fine. I can come over after work and feed the mutt. I have one of those Auto-Feeders anyway. I'll keep old Grant company. He's a good dog. No biggie."

"Thanks John. I appreciate it."

Sara moved to the door and peaked out. Scanning the hallways for more robots.

"Okay. See you later Merrill. Don't work to late."

"Yeah yeah. Have fun on your vacation. And if you see Steve out there? Tell him the Fireside was boring and that I didn't take any notes."

"Pfft. Right."

The both smiled and went their separate ways. Karen back to her office and Jorus back to his deskjob. He still had plenty of time to finish up before the Imperial Daily Loyality Broadcast began. ...Ugh. Oh joy.

___