Chapter 1: Cryptic Script (I)

Barely a minute passed as AI-HS-4 kept a watchful eye on the armored man. Her due diligence was rewarded as a groan disturbed the cascading sounds of the rain. She promptly readjusted her hold on her pistol as she pointed the muzzle towards the man's head.

Another groan escaped from the man's mouth as he opened his eyes. He stared at AI-HS-4 who still had the gun pointed towards him and then took a glance around him ignoring his current predicament. He couldn't help but feel confused as he saw the grey metal walls around him. He could feel a cold hard restraint upon his wrists along with the floor penetrating through his rain soaked pants.

Without taking heed of his situation, he freed himself from the cuffs. He then sat up and exclaimed with a despondent shivering voice,

"Tis' colder than the long freeze. Where is this?"

AI-HS-4 couldn't follow what just happened. It was as if the cuffs she had placed on him were merely just toys. Her suspicion quickly grew as she distanced herself from him, her aim more concentrated than ever before.

"State your identity! You are trespassing on an Imperial vessel and unless your identity is known, an arrest must be made for the safety of the crew."

The man found himself enchanted with her voice and stared even harder at the lady before him. He quickly hopped up and gave a friendly salute with a striking smile. AI-SH-4's finger tensed on the trigger, but the man gave no further indication of being hostile so she eased up her trigger finger. That didn't mean she relaxed her guard, as she kept her eyes on him like a hawk watching its prey.

"My apologies, fair lady. This one bears no ill will," he stated with his hands raised up. "Thou may call this one Arthur Schauman of Briton," he said with a bright smile on his face.

AI-HS-4 stared at the strangely happy man who identified himself as Arthur Schauman. He had a very pronounced accent that sounded similar to the Britannians, yet it still sounded off for some reason.

… As much as I want to say he's from Britannia, nothing on him indicates he's from the nation. Also… he seems clueless to the current situation. Regardless, I can't just rule out the possibility that he's-

"Oh fair skinned lady of emerald eyes and bearings of the wondrous night sky, may this lowly knight know of thy name?" he asked as he then walked up before her and took a knee, his eyes solely focused upon her own.

Her thoughts immediately froze over from the sudden entourage of compliments. The Automatons were in a precarious place regarding their acceptance in human society. They were considered robots by the normal civilian, but their appearance and actions suggest otherwise. AI-HS-4 was especially at the center of this topic as she was more human in thought compared to her brothers and sisters, therefore laws were changed to accept Automatons as a race similar to that of humanity.

But, society still didn't fully accept this notion. Many of the Automatons are considered tools by society to be used for their own selfish gains. In other words, a stigma had been placed upon the automatons.

AI-HS-4 experienced this discrimination countless times, though her few friends defended her regardless of the differences between them. Therefore, the countless remarks she heard were derogatory with a few positive comments from her closest allies and friends. This was the first time that someone had ever told her flirtatious and romantic comments which made her very unprepared for the situation.

She had a confused look on her face as her mouth opened and closed like a flopping fish.

"I… what?"

She mumbled out, her mind overloaded at the knight's words. The knight took a glance at her face, and couldn't help but smile at the flustered appearance of the girl. Reaching one hand out towards her, he asked,

"My fair lady, what doth be the matter? Has't this knight's words stirred thy heart?

His words once again confused her, distracting her from the fact that he had already taken hold of her hands.

Stir… my heart? Just exactly… What did he mean by that?

"I… I don't understand?"

"Has't thou fallen for mine own impressionable self?" he asked as he twirled her around as if they were in a silent dance.

"w-w-w-what?"

"How peculiar, any lady should hath swoon after I at this point. Thou a tough one huh?" He said out loud as he brought her into his arms for a waltz.

Her confusion was instantly replaced by disdain and annoyance to his pompous behavior and she quickly pushed him away. She regained her calm face and stoically explained,

"Well, if your behavior shows anything, you are most likely not an oversea agent. Rather, a pompous braggart that has unluckily found himself stuck in an imperial vessel."

"A braggart thou mention? I doth brag a lot or so I has't been told. After all, this knight here scouts like none other within the empire!" He boasted, as he pounded his fist to his chest.

AI-HS-4 coldly stared at the man's strange antics.

"Regardless, you are an unknown stowaway who has no purpose onboard this ship. Therefore, you must be detained."

This time, she unhooked a pair of carbon fiber cuffs from her belt. Slowly, she approached the man with her gun still pointed towards him. In return the man smiled back at her and stuck his hands out towards AI-HS-4,

"For now this lowly knight shall willingly oblige this fair lady's wishes. For tis a first for this one to be chained by a lady. Though I shall mention, these links, though stronger, doth still be brittle even upon the weakest of imperial knights."

Not minding any of his words, AI-HS-4 ordered him to turn around so as to quickly cuff the man with his hands behind his back.

"Careful now fair lady, I've the stench of the waters and I doth not wish that upon thyself even amongst my enemies."

"Irrelevant."

With a single worded reply, she began to push him towards the bridge. The knight was marveled by the ship's interior. Never had he seen a ship made completely of steel.

"Does this ship not sink? Where be the seafarers?

"..."

She ignored his questions, placing them all in the back of her mind. The only thoughts she had now were limited to her current objective of guiding an unknown man to the highest ranked official in the ship. As they quickly made their way through the bowels of the ship, the floor began to shudder which caused the two to stagger on their feet. It wasn't enough to force them to the ground though which made it clear that it wasn't turbulence issues.

AI-HS-4 couldn't help but wonder what had caused it. She didn't have to wait long to find out though as an incoming message came in for her. She raised her wrist in front of her. A small projection of a girl in a maid outfit emanated from her watch. The figure saluted, and reported in with a professional aura.

[Reporting. Target was eliminated after minor skirmish. Casualty count, three. Awaiting further orders.]

A bad premonition crawled its way into her being. She kept her calm as she asked with a calm tone,

"Where are you right now?"

[Location: Bridge].