The Cold Unknown

Chapter 1 - The New Father

"Alice."  I opened my eyes. Two men stood before me, but the one who had said the name had small tears in his eyes.

"I'd always liked that name. But I wasn't the one who chose it last time. She had named her 'Emma'. Although, now since their gone and I get to choose, I'm going with Alice. In Greek it means, 'The Truthful One'. And I know for sure now that THEY  were not truthful. But I hope she will be.." The tear-eyed man said. 

The other man, standing next to him said, "Sheesh, you didn't have to tell me a back story. I just asked if you had a name for it." This man, wearing glasses and an employee outfit, - as he worked here - walked to stand in front of me.

"YK500," Drew said. (I could read his name tag now) "register your name." Drew stood back and the other man took Drew's place in front of me. 

"Alice." This man said.

"My name is Alice." I repeated obediently.

"Great! Well it seems you're all set now!" Drew said. "You got your care package and everything?"

"Yes I did, thank you." The other man replied. "Come along, Alice."

I followed the man outside and into his car. It seemed an old model, which I assume it was as it was still manually drive-able. We pulled away from the store as soon as he made sure I was buckled, and drove onto the highway. 

"Alice," He said. I looked up at him. "My name is Todd Williams. But, really, I bought you to be sort of my daughter. So, uh, please don't call me by my name. It may be a little strange at first, I really don't know how your type deals with this, but, uhm.. I would prefer if you called me 'Dad', or 'Father'. Something like that. Or else it wouldn't make sense, you know?.."

I nodded. "I understand... Father." I said, cautious but happy.

Todd smiled. "Okay. Well at least we're off to a good start then."

We were silent the rest of the way to his house, other than the music on the radio. I looked out of the window for most of the drive. I was interested to see what my new world was like. I was so used to just looking out the window of the shop. I wanted to see this new world. The sights, the people, and all. I just wanted to take it all in.

Soon enough, we reached Todd's house. I'm not complaining, but it didn't look in the best conditions. I guess it's all he could do with it. We walked in, and the house still looked a little messy. I thought maybe Todd is just the messy type.

"Come here, Alice." Todd beckoned. I walked over to where he was in the kitchen. He reached his hand down to my temple, and carefully pulled out my LED (As it is removable).

"There." Todd said, throwing the biocomponent away. "Now you really look like her."

Her? I thought to myself. Who's her? I'll ask later. "I hope that's a good thing." I said.

"..Yes. It is..." Todd said, tears trying to surface. He shook them over. "Let's go upstairs. I'll show you your room."

As we headed upstairs, I realized that something is really hurting Todd inside, and I wanted to find out what.

When we entered the room, I saw a pile of blankets in the corner. A fort. I thought. Decision made, I am making a fort. I spotted a fox stuffed animal on the bed. I immediately went to grab it, and I hugged it.

Todd chuckled. "At least I know you have a good friend now.. You should give your new friend a name."

"Timothy." I said without a second thought. "His name is Timothy."

"Alrighty, then." Todd said, amused. "I'll let you settle in, get used to the place. There are some clothes in the closet if you want to change.. Make yourself comfortable." Todd then left, and I did change out of my light blue android outfit into some regular clothes: a pink and white shirt, grey leggings, and pair a shorts on top of that.

I looked into the mirror that was hanging on the wall.  I decided to put my hair up into a pony tail, as I particularly didn't enjoy my long dark hair in my face.  Afterwards, I started on my fort.  I found two chairs and placed them for a base of the fort.  Then I grabbed the blankets and laid them accordingly.  I finished soon enough, but I thought it was missing something.  Digging through a box in the closet, I found a string of lights.  

"Perfect!" I exclaimed brightly.  I took the lights and plugged them into an outlet behind my fort, then found a way to hang them up inside the fort.  After I finished, I went out of the fort and looked at it.  

"I love it! It could be a perfect reading nook..  If only I had books to read."  I said.  

I decided to ask Todd if he had any books around here.  So I headed downstairs, and found him watching a football game on the T.V.  

"Hey, Dad?"  I asked.  He looked over at me.

"Yes, Alice?"  He asked back.

"I was wondering if you had any books anywhere.  I would love to read in my fort I just made."  I told him.

"Hmm... I think I might have a box full of books out in the shed." Todd said, getting up from the couch. "Let's go outside and check."

I nodded, following him out to the backyard and over to the shed.  He oped the shed, which was full of boxes.  

"Let's see..." Todd thought aloud looking over the boxes.  "Pictures... CD's.... Movies... Oh here we are - books."

Todd grabbed the box labeled 'books', and we took it inside and up to my room. 

"Here we go," Todd said, putting down the box.  He looked up and saw my fort.  "That's a nice fort you got going there.  Very creative."  He complimented.

"Thanks, Dad." I replied.

Todd opened the box and I helped him sort out the children's book.  We then placed them on a book shelf in my room.  Afterwards, Todd left for a moment, then came back with back with a small wooden box and a key.

"This is a jewelry box." Todd told me. "But, it's actually filled with a bunch of stationary stuff, along with some old photos..  You can do whatever you'd like with them."  Todd placed the box and key on the dresser.  "Just... don't ask me about any of the photos in there.  Some of them might be ones that I find painful to remember, okay?"

I was confused, but I still agreed to the conditions.  Todd then went back downstairs.  I opened the jewelry box, and looking through the photos I found one of Todd, a woman, and a little girl.  Todd looked happy in the picture.  I liked it.  I decided to keep it.  Putting the rest of the photos somewhere else, I wanted to turn the box into a treasure box.  A place to keep things I like or a place to keep secrets.  Taking some of the puffy stickers from the stationary kit,  I wrote - 'Alice W. Treasure' on top of the box.

Perfect...... You know what? I thought to myself. I'm really starting to feel safe at home here.  I have a nice room, an okay house, and a loving father... What can go wrong?