The Soulmate Curse

CINNAMON (for luck) - Part 3

The apartment was quaint, cosy, and welcoming. Finding a room in this dense cityscape was practically a miracle. Finding one that was as welcoming as this one was supposed to be impossible. Finn couldn't stop grinning. Alright, maybe her name had made it easier to find this place. She'd just happened to connect with an avid student and fan of Finnegan's Engine, a Jed Billings, when she called the organisation in charge of urban housing. Despite his enthusiasm, however, she'd had to wait, just like everyone else, for a room to free up and the other occupant to apply for a new roommate. The only difference had been the fact that her ally in Housing, Jed, had actively been searching for such opportunities on her behalf. Most other people had to do that themselves. It made Finn feel slimy on the inside, but she couldn't deny that she was grateful for it. She'd looked forward to living in the city for years now.

"Welcome to the Tribot Apartments, Milligan's Drive, Unit number 6, Miss Finnegan Evina Darrow," Said the AI assigned to the common areas of every apartment and the public access areas of whole apartment building in general. "My name is Gavyn."

"Hi Gavin. It's good to finally meet you in person," said Finn, having only interacted digitally with the AI while taking a survey that determined whether she would fit as a roommate in this apartment or not. "Please, call me Finn."

"The pleasure is all mine, Finn," said Gavyn. "Would you like a tour of the apartment?"

"Yes please. Thank you, Gavyn," said Finn, giving way to the robot assistant who'd just come in carrying all her luggage. She'd already taken a virtual tour of the place but didn't mind one now that she was here.

"The tour is best given in Augmented Reality, Finn." Said Gavyn.

Finn slipped on the AR glasses that were hanging on her sweater's neck, which also doubled as her sunglasses. The dark tint mode of the sunglasses disappeared, replaced by AR annotations that perfectly overlaid the objects and surfaces of the apartment as Gavyn took her through the apartment tour. The apartment was immaculate. Her room was the perfect size, with space for her bed, a desk, and even a workout space, complete with a fold-up treadmill that fit in flush with the wall. She wondered what happened to the previous owner.

"Hey Gavyn?"

"Yes, Finn."

"What happened to the previous tenant? I had to buy out their lease, and I was just curious why."

"Murdoch was arrested for throwing an axe against the door jamb of the girl he was stalking after he discovered that she got a new boyfriend," said Gavyn. "He had also threatened to smother Zhen, the other inhabitant of this apartment, in her sleep when she requested that he refrain from cleaning out the skulls of road killed animals in the bathroom sink."

There was so much wrong in that statement, but Finn only caught one thing. "Gavyn?"

"Yes, Finn."

"What's the name of my roommate?"

"Your roommate is Zhen Chi-Ling Roberts."

Just then, the door opened and in walked in Zhen.