Breakthrough

Our girls are wandering through the city on an early weekend morning. A blue glow is hanging around them, lighting up the tall buildings with a grim atmosphere. Aimlessly they scrawl through the desolated neighborhoods trying to accept their newfound faith. There is nothing to look forward to, no answer to the questions that have been bothering them all this time. Is there really something to it all, or are they trying to connect their own plot between dots that never had any relation, to begin with. Not sure if they should give up their current aims to look for a new goal, a new purpose. As they walk past the not-yet opened-up facades of one of the city's many shopping streets, something in the electronics shop window catches Mona’s eye.

“Look Ti, that was the TV I was talking about. It has 4k and 120hz refresh rate. Maybe you’d finally have a chance at defeating me.”

Ti looks at the price tag next to the TV and sees it’s really expensive.

“Haha… maybe I will. But where would you get the money from Mona?”

Mona looks in Nia’s direction.

“We could sell some more cookies, right?”

“No way… please stop this nerd talk, it’s cold and I want to go back to the dorms okay?”

“Alright…” said Mona.

Just as the girls were to live, an ad start playing on one of the television.

“It’s that one of those terrible maidtrons you were talking about Mona?” asks Ti.

“Yeah, it looks like it, really interesting are they right?”

“In can’t endorse them, those job stealers!”

“Weren’t you the one saying something about only real women having the spirit of the maids or some other dreamy stuff I can’t remember?”

“Women… yeah alright… I guess I shouldn’t be too worried”

While the other girls were having this chitchat, Serena made an observation. Knowing she had to share it with the other girls, she took a deep breath. By thinking about everything Yuri had been teaching her, she was able to muster up the courage to the rest of the group.

“I noticed something. The serial number says ‘M4DTR-10’”

“Remember the robotics club weird machine? It had the same code”

The other girls looked shocked.

“The serial number? Are you sure?” said Mona.

Serena started twisting a strain of her hair.

“Yes, I think so”

“You are a genius, how did you even remember this all the time”

“Wait, but what exactly are you saying, were the first maidtrons created here at school? By the robotics club… by Mrs. X!” says Ti.

“Yes, that is what Serena is implying Ti”

“So that means… the maker of maidtrons could be Mrs. X right?”

“Who knows, it’s probably some old nerdy guy or something” says Nia.

“Thank you Serena for sharing. Let’s go back to school immediately to investigate this further. The investigation club… eh squad is back in business!” proclaims Mona enthusiastically as she storms off.

Mona and Serena's dorm room

“Only disappointment is that her real name doesn’t start with an X, but alright, sometimes you have to compromise…”

“Great, but what will we do now. Will we report her or something?” said Nia.

“I am not sure yet”

Mona does a little more searching and finds something.

“Look, there is a convention about robotics here in the city next week. And Mrs. X… eh Mrs. Ei is giving a presentation there about maidtrons. Let’s go there so we could talk to her!”

“Talk to here… that sounds scary Mona. You're not going to do anything weird right?”

“Anyway.. how are we going to pay for this… I am broke”

Mona grabbed her wallet and turned it upside down for demonstration. A single coin dropped out.

“What if we use the money we raised for the festival… I think it’s time for us to accept that it just isn’t gonna happen unless a miracle happens”

“I feel so sorry for you Ti-chan, I know you wanted it that badly”

“We always have next year Mona…”

“Alright, let me deposit the money in the bank and I will buy us tickets tomorrow. We are in for a break anyways…”

“I think we are done here for today”

Just about as the girls were about to leave, Mr. Cat, who had been sleeping in a corner of the room this whole time, jumped up on Ti’s lab.

“What a cat? How did he come in, did you leave the window open or something? Let me take him outside with me”

Mona totally forgot that Ti wasn’t supposed to enter her room! She can’t have Ti take Mr. Cat away!

“Mhmm actually…. he is my cat Ti, so please leave him here”

“Mona, you know we are not allowed to keep pets in our dorms! You have to get rid of him or you will be penalized for breaking the rules”

The usually brave Mona started looking really sad.

“Please Ti, he is my friend. Don’t tell anyone okay… I beg you”

“Now I understand why you wouldn’t have me here. You have been keeping this from me all this time!”

“Please calm down Ti, It’s not like it’s your business or anything. Don’t be so anal about it!” said Nia.

“I am done with you all… bye bye”

“Boom!”

Ti smacked the door behind her as she angrily left the room.

The hallway

As Ti arrived at the administration office’s door, the image of an almost crying Mona suddenly really hit her hard in the face. She has never seen her friend look so sad. Surely it’s important for a maid to follow orders, but at what price? Mona clearly likes her cat a lot, wouldn’t it be wrong to separate them? She doesn’t want to be known as a snitch as Nia called her.

The door opened and the office administrator came out.

“I noticed you have been standing here for a while. Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Ehh.. no.. miss I was just going for a walk”

“Alright, know that I’ll be always here for you if something happens okay?”

Ti suddenly felt really guilty and hurried back to Mona’s dorm room to apologize. As she neared the door, she could overhear the conversation the other girls were having.

“I am going to miss you so much... Mr…Mr. Cat”

“We will find a new... h..home Mona” said Serena.

“I don’t know why we are friends with that snitch Mona! You shouldn’t hang around her!”

“It’s not her fault… I was wrong from keeping this all from her. I should just have been honest since she is a friend.”

At that moment Ti hesitantly opened the door to let herself in.

“Ti? I guess this is goodbye Mr. Cat..”

Ti started crying

“It’s no time to say goodbye Mona. I am so sorry, I came back to apologize to you. I didn’t tell the administrator Mona”

“Thank you Ti, I am sorry for not trusting you all this time”

Mona gave a hug to Ti in order to calm her down.

“And I also want to apologize to you Nia for telling them about your griddle… I shouldn’t have snitched on you.”

Ti now focussed her attention on the cat.

“I am sorry Mr. Cat, you seem like a great friend”

Ti started petting the cat.

“In fact… I am the one that is not supposed to be here…”

“Ofcourse you are Ti”

“No really, there is something you don’t know about me… I have a big secret that I am not ready to share with you… but maybe someday”

“It’s alright Ti, please calm down. From now on I promise you will always be welcome here. Let’s play some game to calm us down okay? It has been quite a while…”