Disconnect

Chapter 2

You awake a few hours later in an empty room. You see that the light coming through the closed curtains is quite dim. It's later in the day now, and you should get ready to leave when your parents get home. You use your hands to assist with your position change but stop as you feel your hand crinkle a piece of paper. A letter? No, it was just a folded up piece of printer paper. You pick it up and begin to unfold it. What greets you is a picture of a maid drone with a comically oversized hand giving you a thumbs up and the words "Have fun and stay safe" written at the bottom. You just stare at it a little while, feeling warmth spread throughout your chest. These drones always took good care of you. You think to yourself if there's anything you can do for them, but you can't think of anything right away. This almost sours your mood, but the thought is interrupted by a knocking on your door.

"Come in," you say loud enough for whoever is on the other side to hear you.

The door opens enough to see the side profile of a butler drone leaning in, "Young master (Y/N), your parents will call you shortly. Are you ready to depart?"

"N-no, not yet. I'll be ready soon. Thank you," you had to think for a moment with your recently awoken brain, but you remember you haven't decided on any form of entertainment for the trip yet.

"Do you need assistance? I have no further duties until you all depart," the butler offered.

"I just don't know what I should bring with me. I don't know how many days I'll be gone, so I don't know how much entertainment will be overkill," you explain the situation.

The butler lets himself inside and closes the door behind him. He rubs his chin in thought before offering advice, "You'll need music for the liminal portion of the trip. Your phone should suffice. Headphones to keep it private. Are you caught up on your homework?"

"Yes," you say, like a liar.

The butler gives you a look like he wants to say something, but decides against it, "Very well. Though perhaps you should bring your tablet regardless. In addition if you plan on being on the go frequently, your mobile game system may be a viable option. The one you can carry in your pocket."

All good suggestions, you thought. You go around the room collecting your items and after only a few minutes you have your luggage all zipped up and ready to go. You were about to get your shoes on before you heard something.

The butler clears his metallic and unobstructed throat, "Did the young master forget anything important?"

You look at him confused, unsure of what he means. You see him glance at a wall outlet where a few charging cords are stuck into the wall.

"Those might be important... Thank you," you say as you walk to the other side of the room as your bed.

Unbeknownst to you, the butler wore a smile as he let himself out and left, "Of course young master."

With your belongings packed you exit your room and begin carrying your luggage. The butler drone outside your door follows after you with hollow eyes and a stammer in his voice, "Young master (Y/N), please l-let me carry that for you."

"I've got it. It's not that heavy," you say as your arm is already getting a little tired half way down the hall.

"Please, sir. I don't want you to go down the stairs like that. You could get hurt!," the butler protests.

"I'll be fine. Really, it's not that heavy," you assure him.

The butler thinks for a moment before speaking, "Then let me go down the stairs before you just in case you stumble."