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jdagger12 June, year zero
Having navigated the vagaries of my new condition and completed my morning ablutions, I wandered out of the bathroom and into the kitchen side of the common area to retrieve my morning coffee. I had noticed how much my hair had grown out since my arrival in the current now, and made a note to myself to find a hairdresser amongst all the other tasks that I had yet to complete.
Talia glanced over at me in my current state of dishabille and gave me what I could only assume was her own simulacrum of a concerned look. She pulled out a chair, turned the seat towards me and gestured for me to sit down. I held up a finger, turned back to the counter and poured myself a second cup of coffee before taking a seat. I took a long drink of the first cup, and took no small degree of amusement that the coffee dispenser in my quarters always delivered the coffee at what I determined to be the perfect temperature, and the cup maintained it there for longer than I expected.
After finishing the first cup, I placed it on the counter and leaned back. Talia ran her fingers through my hair and began brushing it back with the precision and grace of a Parisian coiffeuse. She paused occasionally as she worked, and I noticed that she was humming bits of a tune I was unfamiliar with.
“Talia, are you humming?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Yes Jed, I am.” She replied as she continued brushing my hair. “That is a part of my engrammatic programming. It was intended to make me seem more human and to put you at ease. Do you wish me to stop?”
I leaned back a bit more and closed my eyes. “No, it was just curiosity on my part.”
Talia paused again, then deftly began braiding my hair. Once she was done, she stepped to my side and assumed her usual stance. “I anticipated that you would prefer a braid for your first day at the office. I do hope that is satisfactory.”
I let out an involuntary chuckle and stood, touching her shoulder. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead, and you are much better at that than I am. I never managed to get it centered or even.” She smiled at me and slightly nodded.
The next matter at hand was getting dressed. Apparently Talia had laid out something for me to wear that was appropriate for my first day at the office, and as per her usual efficiency it appeared to be just my size. While I may have some question about the style of my current surroundings I had learned over the previous weeks my mechanical assistant knew what would fit. At this point I was still wavering on my feelings about my foundational garments lacking the structure I had become used to, but the freedom from boned corsetry as a mandate seemed oddly liberating. Of course the other side of the coin was there were so many more pieces to put on as compared to chemise, corset, and pantaloons.
The skirt was snug, ended above my knee and was made of a fabric that I didn’t initially recognize as it had a hand like a fine tweed but the feel of a much lighter silk, in a deep charcoal gray. I slipped on the jacket and was pleased to notice it was cut to fit my figure but was designed to retain a fuller range of motion than was expected. The last thing to complete my ensemble was a long strip of red fabric that I assumed was a sort of cravat, and of course that thought triggered a brief cascade of information related to neckwear. I simultaneously sighed and chuckled that I have a necktie. I turned to the mirror and looped the tie around my neck, my fingers manipulating the cloth with a well-practiced movement that I had previously been unaware of knowing. Giving it a final tug and nudge to center it, I looked in the mirror and regarded the image I saw. The face that stared back was a familiar stranger. I suppose that this is the shape of things now and that this is who I am, even if the trappings are different.
I smoothed my skirt and sat on the end of the bed, slipping on the calf height boots that finished the ensemble. Talia stepped over and gave me a once-over, her expression as implacable as usual. She handed me a pair of tinted glasses and held out her hand.
“Shall we go?”
Having navigated the vagaries of my new condition and completed my morning ablutions, I wandered out of the bathroom and into the kitchen side of the common area to retrieve my morning coffee. I had noticed how much my hair had grown out since my arrival in the current now, and made a note to myself to find a hairdresser amongst all the other tasks that I had yet to complete.
Talia glanced over at me in my current state of dishabille and gave me what I could only assume was her own simulacrum of a concerned look. She pulled out a chair, turned the seat towards me and gestured for me to sit down. I held up a finger, turned back to the counter and poured myself a second cup of coffee before taking a seat. I took a long drink of the first cup, and took no small degree of amusement that the coffee dispenser in my quarters always delivered the coffee at what I determined to be the perfect temperature, and the cup maintained it there for longer than I expected.
After finishing the first cup, I placed it on the counter and leaned back. Talia ran her fingers through my hair and began brushing it back with the precision and grace of a Parisian coiffeuse. She paused occasionally as she worked, and I noticed that she was humming bits of a tune I was unfamiliar with.
“Talia, are you humming?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Yes Jed, I am.” She replied as she continued brushing my hair. “That is a part of my engrammatic programming. It was intended to make me seem more human and to put you at ease. Do you wish me to stop?”
I leaned back a bit more and closed my eyes. “No, it was just curiosity on my part.”
Talia paused again, then deftly began braiding my hair. Once she was done, she stepped to my side and assumed her usual stance. “I anticipated that you would prefer a braid for your first day at the office. I do hope that is satisfactory.”
I let out an involuntary chuckle and stood, touching her shoulder. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead, and you are much better at that than I am. I never managed to get it centered or even.” She smiled at me and slightly nodded.
The next matter at hand was getting dressed. Apparently Talia had laid out something for me to wear that was appropriate for my first day at the office, and as per her usual efficiency it appeared to be just my size. While I may have some question about the style of my current surroundings I had learned over the previous weeks my mechanical assistant knew what would fit. At this point I was still wavering on my feelings about my foundational garments lacking the structure I had become used to, but the freedom from boned corsetry as a mandate seemed oddly liberating. Of course the other side of the coin was there were so many more pieces to put on as compared to chemise, corset, and pantaloons.
The skirt was snug, ended above my knee and was made of a fabric that I didn’t initially recognize as it had a hand like a fine tweed but the feel of a much lighter silk, in a deep charcoal gray. I slipped on the jacket and was pleased to notice it was cut to fit my figure but was designed to retain a fuller range of motion than was expected. The last thing to complete my ensemble was a long strip of red fabric that I assumed was a sort of cravat, and of course that thought triggered a brief cascade of information related to neckwear. I simultaneously sighed and chuckled that I have a necktie. I turned to the mirror and looped the tie around my neck, my fingers manipulating the cloth with a well-practiced movement that I had previously been unaware of knowing. Giving it a final tug and nudge to center it, I looked in the mirror and regarded the image I saw. The face that stared back was a familiar stranger. I suppose that this is the shape of things now and that this is who I am, even if the trappings are different.
I smoothed my skirt and sat on the end of the bed, slipping on the calf height boots that finished the ensemble. Talia stepped over and gave me a once-over, her expression as implacable as usual. She handed me a pair of tinted glasses and held out her hand.
“Shall we go?”
