The Theater: Part 1

"Have you ever seen a place like this!?" Her speech was a bit choppy, almost having a digital feel to it. "I didn't know of colors like this being real!"

"No kidding... I'm so used to the sand." The other woman I was with added on. Her gaze was glued to the ceiling covered in countless worn-out carvings of chiseled stone-men.

"H-hey! Wait up you two! Should we really just be going head-first into a place like this? I mean, it almost feels sacred..." I called to their backs, however to no avail. They'd already taken it upon themselves to walk right down the faded velvet-carpet running in between the lines of chairs.

The one up front with the "digital" sounding voice is Toki Asako. I always say "girl" or "she/her" when I talk about her because I'm more than certain that's what her creator intended for. What I mean by that is, she's an android, so I don't know if she has a gender. But by all measures of appearances and personality, she was unmistakable from a real one.

"Alison, hey! Wait up! It's not like you to just follow along with Toki like this."

"You always worry too much, Krosia, it's just an old theater. And by the looks of it an opera one." She said with her usual monotone cadence. We paused side-by-side halfway down the aisle while Toki had already climbed up on the stage. She'd been fiddling around with some old props like a puppy with new toys.

I glanced around as well. Occupying about two-dozen seats were skeletons of all different sizes. This theater seemed so vast and grand these had to have been rich people, right? Were they watching a play when they died? It's a bit unnerving if you ask me. "I know..." I mumbled. "It's just if you're not the cautious one, then what are you? Heh..."

"Is that a joke?" Knowing Alison she most likely couldn't tell.

"Why do I even bother..."

"WOAAAAAH!" Toki's voice sung out from the stage. "Look at this tree! It only has two sides! It's completely flat! Whaaaaa!"

"There really is nothing to worry about, Krosia... Besides, if something does happen---" Alison pulled back some of her tattered grey cloak, revealing the shining hilt of a sword. "I can protect us." She gave me one of her classic smiles---faint but full of love. She's always so pretty, especially when she smiles.

I eyed her from the corner of my vision. She knew how I felt about her using that... She's right though, I do over worry.

"Guys! Guys! Come look at uh--- this!" Our android friend was nowhere to be seen on stage yet her voice still echoed from it.

With a quick hop the two of us were up. "Over here, over here." A hand waved us over from behind a wooden bush. We hopped over to see Toki completely mesmerized by a piece of paper and some rope.

I was worried? Seriously?

"W-what am I looking at exactly?" Alison asked.

"Do you not see it!? For real!?"

"I think we need to reboot you, Toki..."

"Wha!? Wait, hold on! You for real don't see what's written on the note?"

"Krosia, is this some sort of game I'm not understanding?"

"No... I don't get it either," I said. "Toki if there's writing on it can you just read it to us?"

"W-w-well... uh... it doesn't work like that exactly... it's the sort of language people like you guys can't see or understand."

"Ohhh--- of course. Yes. I think Alison's right, you need a quick reboot." We never really rebooted Toki despite teasing her about doing it. I always feel bad about it... maybe because I see her as more of a person than android? Isn't that the point of androids? Anyways, she probably gets a reboot in whenever she goes into "sleep-mode" for the night.

"No! I-I'll translate it! Here, watch!" Toki took the slip of paper and put it to her mouth. Just like a machine the paper slid in followed by some beeping-and-booping. After a second of rattling the sheet slid back out unharmed. I know I just said she's no different than a person, then she goes and does stuff like that.

From her right black-pupil a cone of fuzzy blue-light shot out---a hologram of the note, this time with writing.

"Neat," I commented.

Alison leaned in towards the display, a bit of her dirty blonde hair falling on her face. "It says... The Fool, The Dreamer, The King, The Jester, black white yellow and red, Janus's mircale... Signed, Dr. Calixto Narváez..."