TITLE: SYSTEM ERROR
The year is 5064 and Earth has fully embraced science and technology. Men have already gained access to the moon long before, and have a mutual understanding between the Lunars—people who chose to live in the moon and formed their own kind of government. Even robots, cyborgs, and androids are pretty much common and can be encountered in everyday life; robots are the machines which handle works that needed force beyond humans' capacity. Cyborgs, on the other hand, are the people who had undergone surgery after tragic accidents and had been implanted robotic parts so that they can still function in the world's society. Androids act as servants in every household, doing all-around stuff just to satisfy their masters' cravings. Though they are given the tasks of a servant, androids, like robots, could not sense and feel any emotions for they are programmed to obey and obey only.
In New Beijing, the newly crowned empress who is a part cyborg—having a metal hand and a foot—has always had her android 6.0 company; she treats her as a family ever since she was a child and not as a mere servant. The android is named Iko and of the female gender. One thing that set apart Android 6.0 from others is a unique personality chip implanted in her system. Through this, Android 6.0 could somehow understand and reflect humans' emotions. Some thought that this bizarre thing was cause by unidentified glitches inside the android. Not only does Android 6.0 has a personality chip, she also has a shell that was patterned to humans' physical attributes, but was made of wires, metals, and internal processor.
Iko has a lovely body of a teenage girl with a Latina complexion and an aquamarine hair. She is known for being bubbly, energetic, and loquacious, especially when Empress Selene is around.
One night, the palace of New Beijing is filled with busy people preparing for the upcoming celebration of the pregnancy of Empress Selene with her first child.
"Oh, Empress. Great, great Empress Selene! This ball's so grand and it feels like living inside a fairytale! My system's overheating with joy!" Iko exclaims dreamily as she playfully spins around the great hall, neglecting the fact that there are servants and androids hovering around, hastily decorating the room; it is a room where all important gatherings are held, and is now transforming into a place that would cater the official celebration of the empress' pregnancy.
"There you go again, Iko. Call me Empress Selene one more time and I'll kick you out of here," says Empress Selene while folding napkins hundredth times before setting it on the table, still looking not satisfied on her work as she does not have any idea on how to do it correctly in the first place.
The empress secretly wishes to be given a task that requires her to fiddle with machines while wearing her comfortable white shirt, dirty gloves, and cargo pants, instead of folding napkins and wearing a delicate dress that bugs the hell out of her.
"Can you do that? Hmm... I wonder how can you survive without my presence, Cinder? I'm your android with astonishing looks and shiny beautiful eyes."
"Oh, stop. You're making me throw up with all those cutesy stuff." Cinder says as she tried to act irritated but soon failed.
"You just can't resist my charm and that's why I love you. But I love Emperor Kai, Captain Thorne, and Wolf more than I love you and you can't blame my processor for feeling that way!"
Iko was about to start her usual act and fake a faint in front of Cinder when the hall's door opened. There stood Emperor Kai, dashing as ever, with newly cut hair that perfectly accentuates his kind eyes. Standing tall, literally a bit tall among his subordinates, with two palace guards beside him, he then walks toward Cinder, wearing a warm playful smile.
"Don't stress yourself doing errands here, honey- I mean Cinder." the black-haired emperor utters as he cups Cinder's cheeks.
"By the way, Iko, can you accompany Sir Kinney to Luna to personally deliver the invitations to their officials? Thorne will be waiting for you at Hangar 12."
Knowing Sir Kinney for almost 4 months, Iko complains, "Can he deliver it by himself? I have to help Cinder pick her clothes. You know, she's so stubborn that she might wear a jumpsuit to the ball."
"Well, Cinder might do that—"
"It's comfortable you know."
"See? She's planning on wearing it! Don't you dare, Linh Cinder! Don't you even dare!" fuming like a mother, Iko turns away from Cinder and Kai, then gives Sir Kinney a frowning look.
"Well, your majesty, as what that blue-haired woman had said, I can do it by myself. And sorry to say this but I don't want to bring any burden with me." Sir Kinney blurts out without changing his posture and expression but with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"As much as I love your handsomeness Kai, I just can't be with that grumpy guy alone. He might infect me with his unwavering strictness and cold, cold stares."
"You've been throwing snide remarks at each other for almost four months now, Iko. Can you just tone it down?" suggests Cinder as Kai embraces her from the back, putting his chin on top of Cinder's head.
"Listen to Cinder, guys. It's best if you reconcile now and forget about all the mishaps you've been through. And please do it for the sake of my baby." pleads Emperor Kai.
"If it cannot be help, then I'll do as you wish, your majesty." he bows and quietly exits the room.
"But―okay. Fine. Just don't let me be with him for so long, it might reduce my gorgeousness." Flipping her hair, she also heads toward the door and makes her way to her room.
Sir Kinney and Iko meet the other day at the entrance of the dock. They walk toward Hangar 12 together with the servants who are holding the parcels. Iko wears a floral dress, has her hair into wavy curls and wears a sombrero big enough to cast a shadow like UFO. Sir Kinney on the other hand has his usual attire, his ever tidy navy blue palace uniform. Without acknowledging each other's presence, both walk tight-lipped.
Leaning on the Rampion is Captain Carswell Thorne, sluggishly waiting for their arrival. He is a princely looking man, with a bright-blue eyes and a devilish dimple that deepens everytime he ushers a smile. Many fall for his looks then fall harder for his egotistic and cheesy remarks every now and then.
Upon seeing Thorne, Iko squeals, puts her stylish satchel down, and runs excitedly to hug thee captain. "Captain!"
Looking startled, Throne welcomes her with a smirk and said, "What's up, sweetie?"
Behind them, Kinney bows down to Thorne in accordance to the protocol.
"Hey buddy, you don't have to do that. I know I'm handsome and all but I'm not into that kind of gesture, you know? And we know each other for almost two months now."
"Come aboard now. I don't want Cress to scold me for arriving late."
The servants load the parcels to the ship and the three of them board the Rampion.
"I better start navigating my precious baby for us to reach Luna in six days' span."
When Thorne enters the navigation pod, Iko and Kinney find their seats far from each other. Acting like an A-list celebrity, Iko mumbles, "If you were the last bucket of water on Earth, and I'm on fire, I would not dare consume you, and let myself die instead. You should be thankful that I'm letting you glance at me without a fee."
Kinney chooses not to reply and carelessly looks outside the circular window, and seems to be lost in thought.
"Arrogant fool," whispers Iko as she preps herself up.
Two days before landing to Luna, Thorne checks the condition of his friends. He sees Kinney writing down notes in the corner of the pod.
"Where's Iko, dude?" asks him.
"I don't know. I haven't seen her left the room for almost a day now."
"Maybe she's just asleep."
"Maybe."
When the Rampion is nearing the surface of Luna, Kinney heads to the room where Iko dwells. He knocks multiple times, but no one answers.
"If you're still feeling like you're a VIP and needed tending to, come out there."
Still, no one answers. With irritation, he mightily kicks the door with utmost effort. The door opens and he sees Iko sleeping on her bunk bed in the corner of a descent-spaced room.
"Miss Iko, wake up. We're about to land."
As he's about to tap her forearm when he hears a sound.
"System malfunctioning. Need to reboot in 5 minutes..."
"Hey, don't need to play that kind of record. Wake up."
"4 minutes..." Kinney, looking aghast, looks for Thorne and reports the situation.
"Oh sweet stars! Not again!" exclaims Thorne, as he comes bolting through the door.
"What is it, Captain? Is it serious?"
"Of course it is serious. Iko's experiencing glitch again and we don't have Cinder with us. I better comm the palace." Thorne hurriedly calls Cinder to ask for help.
"Oh stars! Cinder's gonna kill us! She said that Iko's experiencing a glitch and we need to play a romance movie in front of her or do romantic stuff for her to function again!"
"Then play a movie clip then," suggests Kinney to Thorne.
"The thing is, I don't have one because Cress suggested that we should be the one doing it and just watching it, so uh- she kind of erased all that stuff in my portscreen. And I don't want to kiss Iko. Trust me, there are hidden cameras here installed by Cress to check if I did silly things."
"I can't kiss her! I doubt she'll wake up with that move,"
"You can. You don't have a girlfriend, do you? Cress' gonna kill me if she knew about this. You do it! As a captain, I command you to kiss her!" Even Thorne seems restless, pacing back and forth while running his hands on his brunette hair.
Kinney, being in quarrel with Iko from the beginning, found this stuff absurd, "You're telling me to kiss her? Her?" he then frantically points at Iko.
"2 minutes..."
"Hurry! We don't have time. If you will not kiss her, she'll reboot and her chip will be destroyed! Do it!"
"F-fine!" Kinney leans on Iko. When their faces were inch apart from each other, hey breathes in like he is about to do a heinous crime, and kisses Iko for almost a minute.
Then, nothing happens.
"Will reboot in 3,2,1..." Kinney once again presses his lips onto Iko's for desperation.
"Wake up!"
When he opens his eyes, he sees Iko, blinking. He hasn't realized that his lips are still on Iko's. Kinney then quickly stands back.
"What the heck did you do to me, Kinney?!" exclaimed Iko, holding her lips while bewilderingly glaring at Kinney.
"What?! I just save your system from dying down and that's your 'thank you'?"
Kinney seems to be hyped up as he jolts up and makes a comfortable distance away from the bed.
"If I experience overheating and my fan can't help it, it's your fault, remember that."
Placing her one hand atop her chest while letting her other hand fan herself.
After what happened, Iko and Kinney dare not to speak to each other, even to Thorne who is completely relieved that Iko made it through.
They safely land on Luna; a modern and systematized society built on the moon. Without any words, they do their errands separately, deliver the invitations to the officials and quickly board the Rampion to come in time for the celebration. Inside the Rampion, Captain Thorne has noticed that tension is somehow filling up the air.
"So, are you guys not gonna talk? Experiencing a lover's quarrel, perhaps?" snickers Thorne.
"NO!"
"Easy. I'm just trying to, you know, help you reconcile with each other...?" this time, he does not get a reply and thus continues navigating the ship.
When the Rampion reaches New Beijing, Kinney and Iko could not meet each other stares. They alight the Rampion at the same time. After making sure everything is aligned, Kinney bows down to Iko and turns his back to her, still with his signature stoic face. As they part ways, Iko gives a last glance at Kinney, makes a sigh so deep, and whispers to herself,
"Fool. For months, you bug my system! Even if I don't have a real heart, my system keeps on researching stuff about you. Looks like I'm about to have a glitch once again."
Adjusting her looks and composing herself for minutes, she then walks toward the throne room to look for Cinder, wearing the same bubbly expression that she always use to hide her heart's desire.
(A/N: this is a fanfiction based on The Lunar Chronicles. This was a homework I submitted years ago for my CW class. Not edited thoroughly and as you can see, I am not a good writer. But I hope you give this a read. Thank you!)
