Among The Living? (Niki/Vii)

The lesson went on for a while with one child busy playing with a machinery part and the other more attentive but occasionally distracted by the clouds floating outside. One looked like a ‘cat', one of the ‘pictures' P.A.T showed them. And…

“Please say Gee”

The child pouted. It was boring learning the ‘letters'. 

“Play.” Violet said softly. For the first time protesting against the robot, surprising the other child. “Want to pwlay”
 
The other child's head immediately came up at the mention of the word "Play." play was a good word. It was nice to play, they liked to play. The child nodded murmuring, "Pa-lay..."

P.A.T stopped the lesson, and regarded the two small humans. Their attention had been steadily waning it was true. Perhaps a bit of exercise was in order...

"Very well. What game do you wish to play?" P.A.T asked.

The child pondered the question. "Game" was a word that related to "Play". One would "Play Games" and the "Games" all had different names and meant different things.

"Ball" for example was a game played with a round rubber sphere that they would "roll" or "throw" to one another. "Tag" was a game that was about "running" and "catching" one another. (They still hadn't quiet figured this one out as more often than not the one running away would turn and tag the chaser instead of the other way around. Still they both genuinely liked the game.)

The child remained silent, thinking of some of the other games it new, like "Simon Says" or "Hopscotch" or "Ring-Around-The-Rosie" maybe they could play a "Guessing Game" those were nice...
 
The child with violet eyes thought for a while. It thought of playing tag, but they had just played that yesterday. It looked outside again and suddenly had an idea.

"Hide seek" It reploed to the A.I. They had played this game a few times. To the child's understanding, the point of the game was to "hide" and not get "seek". They hadn't been too good at that but what if they "hide" somewhere P.A.T know they can't be? Like the "Stairs" or... The "other levels"!

"Hide and Seek?" P.A.T spoke. The child stared hopefully.

"Alright then. I will count." The robot made a nodding motion and turned around to behin counting.
 
The first child looked about, where to hide? 

The Atrium was usually a good place, there were lots of plants and furniture. 

They started out of the room and wandered out and down the hall, reaching the atrium, they started to words one of the food bars, planning to hide there.
 
The second child, on the other hand, didn't like the idea and tugged the first child's arm, then pointed at the way leading to the stairs. "Go." the violet eyed kid spoke. Without even waiting for the first one's agreement, it began pulling its friend to the stairs.
 
A little thrown off by the sudden change in direction, as well as the intended destination. The child none the less allowed the other to pull them along, equally curious about "other levels". 

So soon they found themselves on a staircase heading down, holding onto one another for balance. The child kept looking back behind them, where they left P.A.T it would take the tinyunit a long time to find them down here. Maybe it would not find them...

That thought made the child feel bad. They did not want P.A.T not to find them. P.A.T was nice. They liked P.A.T.

The child decided that if P.A.T did not find them before dark, the child would make their companion go back upstairs...

However simply going down was not the end goal.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs they suddenly found them selves in a large lobby, with a huge pair of glass doors leading to a sun-soaked parking lot before them.

The child paused and looked back upstairs.
 
The second child didn’t even think twice. It walked a few feet ahead before turning back to wonder why its companion wasn’t coming along. The violet eyed child waved and kept motioning for the first child to follow.
 
The first child looked back towards the door to see the other making the "Come here" motion P.A.T had taught them. 

With one last fretful glance at the stairs, the child crossed to its companion, and together they crossed the lobby to the doors. 

Pushing together they managed to get them open... 

only to find another set on the other side. 

They moved forward three feet and opened these as well, and stubbled out into bright sunlight...
 
They stepped into the bright parking lot. Both of them stood for a bit to feel all the warm sunlight. The ground below them felt rough and hard. It was smooth like the floor inside. 

In front of them, across the parking lot was a tall, broken down wall, separated in two by a large gap where a gate should have been. There were rubbles and trashes scattering around. Several abandoned cars laid dusty and rusted. Behind the wall was the street.
 
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