Far From Home

Chapter Six

(Hi thank you for all the reads so far! They make me really happy, especially since this is my first story! I uploaded chapter 6 since my sister begged me haha. Feed back is appreciated and I'm glad you all continue to read so thanks very much!)

I woke to sunlight shining on my face from the window behind my bed, I’d been led straight here by professor Goswami and I fell asleep before I could assess the new place where I would be living. I looked around my new room; it was very minimalist with white walls and chocolate carpet. All the furniture was a light wood colour and fit in with the colour coding of the room. Next to my bed was a dresser with a single white touch lamp, next to the door in the corner furthest from me was a wooden desk and a new EXL laptop, also white. Though on the wall across from me was a door, I stood to check it out. There was a monitor waist high and I looked at the other door leading out of my room to check if there was another one there too, I confirmed my suspicions. I touched the monitor and it blinked on, I jumped, I didn’t expect it to work so easily. “Hello unregistered guest, may I scan your body to confirm you as the owner of these living quarters?” the monitor asked, I didn’t really know what to do, it wasn’t really day to day life that you have technology asking to check you out. “Uh yes you can...” I said hesitantly, the computer turned green and had a loading button in the middle, “Adira Zhou, 17, Middle Eastern and Asian descent, registration 28bdelta5, and building access level 4. Nice to meet you I am The Human Understanding and Coordinating Economical Technological Device. You can call me THUACETD. Bathroom access now granted.” The door slid open and the computer shut off, “thanks but I think I’ll just keep calling you monitor” I said, it’s time technology companies start coming up with better acronyms. I looked into the bathroom, it had the same wall colour as the outside but everything was holographic glass, meaning that this was the utmost top in bathroom technology. I looked at the inviting shower and knew that I had to hop right in.

After the most fantastic shower of my life, I was back out in my room looking through the dresser. Someone obviously knew my style or had a very good guess at what a teenage girl like me would wear. I pulled out a simple purple t-shirt and green pants, very generic but something that would work well with my hair. “Adira Zhou, please make your way to the mess hall. I repeat Adira Zhou please make your way to the mess hall.” An overhead speaker coming out of nowhere announced, it sounded like Culan. I smirked “okay and where’s the mess hall by chance?” I asked no one, but the monitor by the door leading to the outside turned on “Adira Zhou, if you would like to come this way and I will give you your map and schedule for today. I just need to scan you to confirm please.” I walked over and stood in front of it; it turned green and did the same thing as the other computers. “Thank you Adira Zhou, have a nice day.” Hearing the monitor actually say something properly human freaked me out and I shuddered, walking out the door and making my way to the mess hall.

I followed my map from my room to the two large doors that enclosed the mess hall. The map showed me that there were another three entrances and I had to really wonder how big this place was. I entered and my confusion as to how big this building is added on, the mess hall was huge. I looked all around myself in awe, next to each door on each four walls were lined with food items. In the middle were all the tables, I heard laughing and followed that. I saw Tanner first, unimpressively laughing with food in his mouth. Then I saw the rest of the people from last night. There was an open spot next to Wesley Rabinovich and I walked up to sit next to her, they all greeted me as I sat down and slid a food plate in front of me, “we did not know what you would like to be eating, so we got you everything.” Wesley said smiling, I looked down and the mound of food all of it different and mashed together, I managed a weak thanks. “You are welcome Adira; we are now just waiting for the other children to come.” Wesley said, “Though supposedly there is hold up and we will have to wait a bit longer. You should eat, and then you can grow.” I looked down at my food and scooped some of it up; I looked up as I put it in my mouth and looked across to see Gunther sitting there, with a smile on his face. “If you don’t want to eat all of it, I’ll help. It’s a pleasure to meet you much closer Adira, I’m glad we’ll be working together in the future. My sister already told me so much about you.” Gunther said, I swallowed my food and smiled “this is just a guess but is Culan you’re sister?” I asked, he nodded and I continued eating, “yes I got a job here first as a scientist and when she came out of the Test unhappy with her work choice, I helped her come here. It’s easier having her here with me.” Then someone from up the table gasped happily, professor Goswami looked down the table so everyone else could hear her “they’re here everyone! It’s time to make our way up to the meeting room!” I looked down at my plate unhappily; I didn’t have time to finish. “Bring it along Adira; you don’t have to leave it behind.” Gunther said, laughing.

We made our way out of the mess hall in another door, opposite to the one I came through, I was really grateful that the monitor had given me the map. We reached the room that had been used last night and we all sat in the same seats, though I noted that there were now an extra four. I resumed eating while the rest started talking about the three new people and Mochrie. I remembered that I would actually be seeing Mochrie again after thinking I never would. I could now barely conceal my excitement and while thinking about it I started choking, I coughed and Wesley came around behind me and started whacking my back. And of course, while she was doing this and I was spluttering the door started opening.