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"Congratulations. I see that you're both alive and well," the A.I. ghost's familiar voice echoing throughout the massive room.

"Eve. I hate to admit it, but I did miss you."

"I'm not entirely sure if the feeling is mutual. I had to fix a washing machine and replace a set of overpriced plates. I'm certain that's not Mr. Barnes' doing."

"Oops? Sorry. I tried wash some stuff... on my own?"

As the elevator doors hid her from view, Valeriy gave a happy wave of her hand.

It was habit now. Searching an area to make sure it was safe. That there wasn't anybody hiding. That there wasn't a familiar face.

"...Mr. Barnes?"

I looked up from the floor, checking under all the vehicles for anything that shouldn't be there.

"Most of these cars can be tracked."

"Yes, but not from inside a mountain. This is the safest place for Val."

I came to a stop at a motorcycle that sported massive denting. A detached wheel. Bent in the middle.

Mangled was a good word for the mess.

"Took some time for her to pry it from the tree it was wrapped around...."

With nothing left to do besides guessing what the various contraptions strewn about could be, I slipped into the driver's seat of our stolen car. Parked it in line with the others and grabbed our bags just in time for the elevator doors to open again.

"Mhmh hm, Mhmmh! Hmm mmhm mhh hmhhmm!" Valeriy yelled through closed lips and stuffed cheeks. Waving me over with two of those altered oranges in hand.

And flanked by two massive dogs.

One completely white. The other a mix of red and white. Both of which sat with their ears just shy of her shoulder and staring right at me.

"Like, hurry up. I want to like, show you this totally awesome place," Valeriy said.

But the young woman stared at the upper corner of the elevator in bewilderment. Cheeks still stuffed to the brim.

She made a gesture of an exaggerated shrug. With her arms shifting from side to side.

The A.I. ghost.

The A.I. ghost was using her voice.

Valeriy waved for me to step inside the large elevator again. Mumbling something while motioning to the dogs. Still chewing at a feverish pace.

"They like to like, maul anybody who like, doesn't belong.... Val, hitting the elevator wall isn't going to do anything to me.... Fine. Like the dogs totally wouldn't bite you, homeboy," the A.I ghost said switching between accents and voices.

Valeriy quirked an eyebrow my way. "They – "

"Like they'll totally be friendly with like, you."

"Ev – "

"I totally like, ditzed out and like, totally forgot to tell you about like, the dogs."

With a heavy sigh, the young woman shoved half a PRO into her mouth, munching away as fast as she could. Cheeks puffing out again.

But neither of them moved their eyes from me. Merely watching me. Their tails flicking from side to side. Slow and calm.

I took a few steps closer, waiting for a reaction from the dogs.

None. No response to the movement. Posture still relaxed.

"Like finally.... Hey! Don't go throwing fruit peels at – Val!"

"Mmhm mmhm – !"

"Like get into the elevator already, homeboy. The place is like, humongous. I have like, a bajillion things I have to like, work on before I can like, sleep."

The last sentence put a pause on Valeriy's fruit peeling. Irritation flash across her face before she shoved another half of the PRO into her mouth.

"I'll like, show you the outside like, when like, the sun's not going to like, set on us. No point showing you like, total darkness."

With a deep breath, I slipped into the elevator, the doors closing the moment I stepped passed them. Trapped in a room that felt far smaller than 6 meters by 24 meters. With two giant dogs and a young woman flicking red fruit peels at where I assume a tiny camera in the corner had to be.

"...What's... what are their names?" I tried.

"­He's Zephyr and like, she's Ixie," the A.I. ghost said in sync to Valeriy's head shifting from the white dog to the red one.

Cautiously, I reached out towards the nearest dog. The white one. Waiting for it to snap. Teeth and all.

The bushy white tail wagged a tad faster. Head tipping forwards against my fingers. Pushed against them when the legs straightened up, taking a couple steps to me.

"Can I ta– "

"Just like, don't attack them and they won't like, bite you. I'm like, more likely to like, bite than like, they are."

The white fur was so soft. Fluffy and warm. Much like the blankets when I wake up. The ones that Valeriy's been wrapping around me.

"Would you just – "

"But you'll totally like, love this place, homeboy."

The ears were so soft. The head following after my hand. The fluffy tail hitting against the side of Valeriy's stomach.

"Ev – "

"But like, I got no idea as to where you'll be like, sleeping. We don't have like, guest rooms."

When my ears popped, I paused. We weren't just going straight up. Nor were we moving slow.

"Val...?"

"Hm – "

"Like, there's no reason to be anxious. We're like, totally like, safe here."

With an irritated expression on her face, Valeriy pulled out her phone and typed away. More than likely arguing with the A.I. ghost.

She didn't even wait for the elevator doors to open to start walking. But she managed to time it just right. Kicking her shoes off in the process. Letting them land in two completely different spots.

The dogs trotted out after her.

I, on the other hand, automatically sat down to untie my boots before I dirtied the floors. Lined the four shoes up. Somewhere out of the way.

The room was massive. Big enough to fit the A.I. ghost's D.C. house with extra room. Not a window in sight. Just shelves upon shelves covering the entire length of the walls. All twelve meters of it. They bent and curved, changing the room into a ten petal flower.

The five tables in the room were supported by shelves. The part couch part bed was made of shelves. All of them filled to the brim with numbered binders.

The floor was also odd. Not a single straight line to them. Warped squares getting larger the closer to the walls they got. Following the curve of the walls.

"Half the rooms down here are probably used as storage?" Valeriy said, tucking the phone away in her back pocket, and weaved her way behind a large robot arm.

Heavy machinery was scattered about the edge of the room. This seemed to be where a good portion of the unidentifiable things in the garage were made.

"And the walk in freezer is... this one?"

The young woman pushed the shelf on the left side of a petal and a door sized chunk of it gave into a room filled with cans and boxes. Food. The pantry.

"Nope... umm...."

She tried another shelf a petal over and revealed a brightly lit with plants growing out of white pipes that lined the wall. The next hidden door to the right was filled with blocks of wood. Then she found the laundry room. Then a bedroom.

"Uhh... that's Tristen's suite. Best butler ever and probably psychic.... We didn't get away with much when he was around."

The A.I. ghost was likely the one behind opening the door to the left of the one Valeriy had first tried.

"Ah, there it is. The freezer. I'll just put a stack of stuff in front to let you know."

"I can remember it...."

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Author's Note:

Anybody missed Eve??

If you enjoyed this part, please consider leaving a vote. They're very much appreciated. ^^