“There we go,” Luna said as she arched her back, stretching out her limbs after the tiring effort of carrying an unconscious body for so long. I had already collapsed to the floor, ignoring etiquette.

“When,” I wheezed out, “Will, she, wake, up?” There was an audible gasp of breath between each word as I was recovering myself.

“I don’t know; this is the first time for me, you know.” She was leaning against the back of the tattered, red sofa the woman was unceremoniously dumped on.

“But how did you know to stick your hand in the heart?”

“It was instinctual. I just knew that was how it worked. How do you know how to use your one?” She retorted back, making me pause in thought.

“I see.”

“Well, since you’re here, make yourself at home,” Luna said, a disingenuous smile adorning her face. In response, I simply looked around at where we were.

In simple terms, to call this place a ‘home’ was a bit of an overstatement; there were no walls or doors and so it was entirely open plan. From where I had just walked in, I could see the living room, kitchen, and bedroom all occupying the same floor space. The only thing missing was the bathroom.

Her furnishings were rather lacklustre as well; there was a simple iron-framed, double bed while sofa was tatty and the kitchenette was minimalist--the fridge wasn’t even a full-sized one. Needless to say, none of them looked new in the least.

“It’s… Quite different from what I was expecting.”

“Ha; ‘different’ is certainly one way to put it. But, eh, you get used to it,” She replied, opening the minifridge and taking out a can of some kind--she was too far away for me to discern what. “I think it’s beautiful.” She abruptly said as I was staring.

“It’s rather empty,” I stated, matter-of-factly.

“Just adds to the beauty, I say.”

“Just makes it more boring.”

“Hey! We don’t all need technology to find something interesting.” Her tone wasn’t mad but more… Playful, I suppose. I gave a non-commital ‘eh’ in reply.

“Well, if you’re done gawking, you can stay or you can go; I don’t mind.” My eyes drifted down to the limp body lying defencelessly on the sofa.

“I’ll stay a bit.” I looked at her when answering.

“And she says it’s boring...,” She replied, slightly quieter and with a flat tone. “Well, I can’t make any promises about when she’ll wake up.” She placed another can on the fridge, not touching it.

“Does she have a name?” I answered impulsively, confused by my own curiosity.

“A name? I hadn’t thought that far. Hopefully, she’ll tell us when she wakes up.”

“Why do you think she’ll already have a name? You birthed her.” I picked up the drink and took a sip. I couldn’t identify it but the slight apple taste to it made me think cider, though the unappetising aftertaste suggests a cheap kind.

“Please, don’t put it that way; it makes me seem like a mother. Also, she was a heart first; maybe hearts have names, you don’t know.” I couldn’t help but release an unintended chuckle.

“I’m surprised you didn’t get cold on the way here.” I changed the topic preemptively, to avoid any permeating silence.

“I was fucking scorching initially. It was only towards the end when I began to regret taking off my coat.” She didn’t seem to mind.

“You could’ve just taken it back,” I replied, my tone flat.

“What a great idea! Shit, I need to hang around you some more.” I couldn’t voice any reply to her enthusiastic statement for suddenly, we heard movement from the sofa.

Rapidly, we both turned around to stare, placing our drinks on top of the fridge. She moved far faster than I--showing no hesitation at all--and crouched down in front of the sofa as the white figure pulled herself upright.

By the time I joined her, the woman hadn’t done anything. She was staring straight ahead without really moving her gaze and her whole body was stationary. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have mistaken her for a statue in the moment.

“You’re awake?” Luna asked, her voice gentle.

“Surely it’s obvious?” I couldn’t help but reply, garnering me a snappy ‘quiet’. The woman, however, seemed unperturbed by our dialogue.

It took a good thirty seconds before she actually answered the question. “Yes.”

“Oh. Okay. Do… Do you have a name?” Luna asked.

“Name? I am unaware of any designation that I have.”

“What about when you were a heart? Did you have a name then?”

“I do not have any memories from any time prior to now.” Her voice was flawless and almost lyrical, with an unnaturally perfect cadence and a lilting tone that was pleasant to the ears.

I gave Luna a glance which she very clearly, deliberately ignored.

“Of course, of course...” She pulled herself backwards, getting out of the woman’s face. “Well, how are you? How do you feel?”

“My feelings are nominal.” While the woman’s face was straight-laced, Luna’s contorted weirdly.

“Good to hear, I guess. Then, do you know who I am?” Luna was fazed by her strangely worded reply.

“You are my master.” She answered without hesitation or embarrassment--a commendable achievement after saying that. For the first time since I knew her, Luna actually looked a little awkward--nigh embarrassed--after hearing that but like the bulldozer she is, ploughed right through the issue.

“That means you listen to what I say?”

“Unconditionally, as long as it is within my ability.”

“What is classified as your ‘ability’.”

“All I can tell you is my System Specialisation?” Her answer sent a look of shock on both of our faces, and I wasn’t even participating in the discussion.

“Why do you have a System Specialisation? Did you have one when you were a heart?” Her voice was eager, portraying the same infectious enthusiasm she showed when querying me on my own spec.

“I was given a System Specialisation as a heart and I am still a heart. Ergo, I still have a System Specialisation?”

“You’re still a heart?” I chimed in, my face incredulous. I was absorbed in this conversation.

“Yes.”

“Hold up; let’s start from the beginning.” Luna pulled out a chair from somewhere. “Firstly, you were initially a heart?”

“Yes.”

“And now you’re a human?”

“No; I am merely a heart that underwent a humanoid metamorphosis.”

“Right. Now, did you have any consciousness as a heart?”

“No.”

“And that’s why you have no memories until now.”

“Yes.”

The conversation was disorientating from my point of view. Luna was like a Gatling gun, firing out questions with little downtime in between and the woman replied in an equally brisk manner, reminiscent of a machine. It felt like an interrogation and I wasn’t even the one being asked questions.

“Do you know what a computer is?” I sought to ask, receiving an indecipherable look from Luna. Hey, I have my reasons for such a question!

“Yes. Would you care for a description?” I decided to not focus on how she was compliant with answering my inquiries as well.

“No, but do you know how they work?”

“Yes. Would you care for an explanation?”

“No, but how do you know that? If you have no memories until now, wouldn’t that make your mind effectively infantile?”

“I cannot answer that question.” She replied, her tone precise and identical to how it’s remained so far, me unable to draw any intentions or thoughts from it.

“Because you lack the knowledge or the physical ability?”

“I do not know why I know what I know.”

“A true philosopher,” Luna interjected. “Most importantly,” She began, “What’s your Specialisation?”

“Scion of Mind. It grants me enhanced vision, smell, sight, hearing, and touch.”

“Touch?” I asked. I could conceptualise how the other senses actualised as enhanced versions--my glasses made vision particularly easy to understand--but touch is a bit harder to grasp.

“Yes. I do not know how it works.”

“Interesting. Well, now that we know that, I deem you, oh first servant of mine, S1!” Luna stood up out of her chair dramatically, putting on a sonorous and hereto-unheard-of voice.

“S1, where the S stands for servant?” It’s not even a name!

“No; the S stands for scout, obviously. I’m not that shallow.”

“Yeah, because ‘Scout 1’ is so much better than ‘Servant 1’.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t like it. S1, you like your name, don’t you?” Luna asked.

“I am pleased to have received such a wonderful name from my master.” She replied without missing a beat.

“Of course she agrees with you; she’s your servant!” My voice was unintentionally loud as I found myself being drawn into her antics.

“It’s a two-to-one vote. I’m afraid the name is staying so you just have to get used to it, Charlotte.”

I couldn’t muster the shame to audibly respond so I just stewed in my disagreement.

“Well, now that the name’s all sorted, Charlotte, we have something important to discuss.” I perked my head up at my name, confused and a little apprehensive of what she was going to say.

“Initially, I brought you on so I could find a heart before it’s emerged in exchange for giving you advice. What are you going to do next? If you have no plans, I’d appreciate if you stuck with me for a while longer.”

“Well… That depends; what are you planning on doing?” I hadn’t given it any thought until now since I was preoccupied with other matters but now that the topic had been brought up, I knew what my answer would be.

“I’m planning on registering with the G.U.G. and then helping to clear hives so I can gain more hearts.”

“Getting sole access to a heart when you’re part of a team… Certainly doesn’t sound easy.” I put on a ponderous face.

“You’re right. It’s going to be a painful and long endeavour. I may even die in the process. I may go the rest of my life without getting another heart of my own. If only there was a way to get more hearts easily and safely...” Her voice was light-hearted like she knew what I was going to say anymore.

“You’d probably appreciate someone who could find a hive for you, right?”

“Definitely. But not just that, another person with a strong spec will be invaluable.”

“I guess I’ve got no choice. I’ll just have to team up with you.”

“Excellent! To celebrate, let’s go buy some clothes.” She pulled me up by my shoulders, too confused by such a non-sequitur to resist.

“Clothes?”

“Yes. As much as I’d enjoy the sight, I’m not so callous as to make S1 go nude everywhere. Not to mention the hassle it’d bring in public.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Well, come on, then. Where do you recommend?”