The Bonding Ritual Ch. 01-05

[This is my first story posted here. This will be a slow burn, focusing on setting up the world and characters in these first few chapters. Eventually, this will lead into more intense encounters with a harem theme. I hope you enjoy and I can't wait to hear your feedback!]

Chapter 1

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The jarring sound of the alarm ripped through my sleep, startling me awake. I had only managed to catch a mere two hours of rest, and all I desperately craved was the sweet luxury of hitting the snooze button and stealing nine more minutes of slumber. Alas, my phone mocked me from across the room, perched on my desk. Two hours ago, I had convinced myself that placing it so far away would prevent my future self from succumbing to the seductive call of sleep. To worsen matters, I had cranked up the volume to its maximum, turning the room into an orchestra of obnoxious noise. Reluctantly accepting my fate, I sat up, heaving a heavy sigh and wiping my face with the back of my hand.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The clamor persisted as I battled against my fatigue, using both hands to prop myself up on the edge of the bed. Gradually, the haze of sleep began to dissipate, leaving behind only fragments of a disturbing dream that slipped away from my grasp. I raised my gaze, my eyes landing on the computer monitor displaying the results of the process I had run overnight.

100% COMPLETE

The realization of how important those results are instantly banished all traces of weariness, filling me with a surge of adrenaline. Months of tireless work led to this moment, and I couldn't help but reflect on the significance of this breakthrough.

Collapsing back into my chair, a wave of excitement and exhaustion washed over me, causing the blaring alarm beside me to fade into the background. This achievement represented more than just a passing grade or approval from Miss Carrington, my advanced robotics professor; it proved my worth as a real engineer. This success would be the first of many stepping stones toward my dream of building innovative creations the world has never seen. In that moment of triumph, I marveled at the small chipset connected to the computer that now lay before me, the culmination of countless hours of brainstorming and refining.

BANG BANG BANG

"Turn that bloody thing off! Some of us are still sleeping!" echoed from the room above, breaking my euphoric reverie.

Reacting swiftly, I snatched my phone and pressed the off button, silencing the irritating alarm. The grumpy complaints of my upstairs neighbor couldn't diminish the elation coursing through my veins as I spun around in my chair. Months of tireless work had culminated in the completion of this project, and now it was finally ready to be presented today in my robotics class. After scrutinizing the results for a moment, just to ensure everything appeared in order, I swiftly packaged up the new chip and began copying the rest of the required software to a small flash drive.

As I waited for the process to complete and prepared to leave, my mind drifted back to my childhood, filled with memories of building robots. Every birthday and Christmas, I would eagerly ask my parents for pieces and parts to stitch together into different configurations. One specific memory came to mind of a small self-driving race car I built when I was 8 years old. I remember how my younger sister Emma would squeal with delight as the car zipped around the house, chasing the family cat. Those early experiences ignited my passion for engineering, fueling my dreams of building things that were beyond imagination.

This semester of college had been different, with Miss Carrington seemingly determined to make my life hell. No matter how much effort I put into each assignment, she found fault in almost everything I turned in. It was her relentless critiques that drove me to embark on an ambitious project: developing a robot capable of perceiving and reacting naturally to its environment using a series of tactile sensors, microphones, and cameras. However, all of my attempts had failed, coming up short of what I had in mind. I soon realized that analytical decision-making alone wouldn't create the desired outcome.

A week ago, I was on the verge of giving up. It was a call from Emma that reminded me of those childhood memories that caused a mental breakthrough. I needed to create a separate processing unit, a "heart" for the robot, that would simulate emotional responses. It was a revelation that would transform my project and bring a new level of authenticity to my creation if I was successful. The key to all of this now sat in my backpack in the small processor I finally finished programming just in time for my presentation today.

The compiled software for the processor finished copying to the small flash drive that I held in my hand. It would finally bring my invention to life. Miss Carrington could not ruin this day, no matter how hard she tried. With a renewed sense of purpose, I only needed to swing by the workshop, install the chip, load the software, and make it to class in two hours.

Glancing around my cluttered room, I knew a cleanup was in order, but it'd have to wait. Empty soda cans and takeout containers littered my desk and floor, while discarded clothes and scattered shoes marred the limited space of my small abode. Hastily, I picked through the mess, choosing a presentable outfit, and grabbed my essentials. Determined to make this day count, I left my studio apartment, anticipation and nerves mingling within me as I headed toward the workshop.

Dashing out the door of my small apartment, down the stairwell, and out the main door of the building, a cacophony of noises assaulted my ears from cars honking and speeding by to construction projects that always seemed to be happening in my neighborhood. The crisp November air helped to wake me up further, and the smell of food from the corner vendor reminded me that I hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day. Seeing the line stretch outside of my favorite coffee house, I decided a quick stop at the corner shop for a bagel would have to do.

"What's the rush, James?" I heard a familiar voice from behind me as I left the small store behind and headed toward the bus stop. I spun around quickly, seeing April standing there watching me from the corner of the street with a smile on her face. I must've looked ridiculous with the half-eaten bagel stuffed in my mouth. I quickly yanked it from my mouth, cream cheese landing on my shirt.

"Oh, hi April..." I mumbled embarrassingly. My face felt flush and hot as I tried desperately to wipe the stain from my shirt. She giggled, but not in a malicious way as she watched me furiously trying to clean my shirt, mostly just making the situation even worse.

We were polar opposites. She screamed grace, beauty, and elegance, dressed in a fitted sweater with a green flowing pattern across it that matched her sparkling emerald eyes and clung to her breasts. The tight gray jeans hugged her hips and accentuated her long, toned legs. Her dark hair fell perfectly just past her shoulders with just a slight hint of curl to it. Her makeup was perfectly done, highlighting her features, but not overdone leaving a natural look to her angelic face.

In comparison, I stood there in an old t-shirt and jeans that were faded, ripped, and wrinkled, along with my messy mop of sandy hair atop my head. She only knew of my existence because we shared a class and I tutored her occasionally.

During our nightly sessions, she seemed to enjoy teasing me, almost as if it was a game to her once she realized the effect she had on me by simply smiling or looking at me in a certain way. In each session, she would escalate things in small ways as if testing or teasing me. Maybe it was just to see if I would make a mistake from being flustered by her actions. Sometimes, it was just a look, an intense piercing gaze while biting her bottom lip. Other times, it was how she would bend or twist her body, causing just the slightest hint of skin to display for a split second. During our last meeting, she touched my arm briefly as she was leaving. Just recalling the memory caused the patch of flesh she touched to heat up as if the memory of that touch was forever burned into my skin.

I shook my head, snapping out of the memory before I looked too crazy, "I... I'm just heading to school... big presentation today," When we spoke of math and physics in our tutoring sessions, I would easily find the words to help her. I felt confident and relaxed because that was my world. For any other topic, I couldn't even string coherent sentences together, which was common for me when talking with the opposite sex, but especially with her I didn't have a lot of experience with women and beautiful women made me especially nervous.

With robots, it was different. I understood them and felt safe and comfortable dealing with them, which is why I drowned myself in studies, hoping that would make up for the lack of social skills that most others seemed to find easier than me.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do great! See you on Tuesday for our session?" she smiled brightly, her green eyes glittering in the sun as she tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"Of course... see you then", I managed to get out before quickly spinning around, almost stepping straight into oncoming traffic. Thankfully, the car blaring its horn in warning brought me back into the moment and I quickly jumped back onto the sidewalk. I glanced back hoping April hadn't noticed, but unfortunately, she had. Taking a deep breath and centering myself, I focused on the task at hand. I crossed the street and headed to the bus station.

As I rounded the corner, my heart sank at the sight of my bus pulling away from the curb, "Wait!" I yelled helplessly, hoping it'd stop and let me on. Unfortunately, it sped away and I was left standing at the empty bus terminal.

Well, that's great, the next bus won't be around for another 45 minutes. I thought to myself, looking at the timetable.

I began plotting out the fastest way to get out to my workshop. It was only about 2 miles away, but I wasn't exactly the athletic type. There were a series of alleys and backstreets that could potentially shorten the journey. There was even the old abandoned factory my dad used to work at that I could take a shortcut through, which was right behind the small antique shop that let me use the storage room as a workspace in exchange for doing some odd jobs around the place occasionally.

Plan set, I started my journey, which was mostly uneventful. These alleyways weren't frequented very often other than the occasional worker having their smoke break, street cats, or random kids playing ball. Relatively safe during the daytime. As I dashed down one side street and into the alley that led to the old factor, I accidentally kicked over a can of paint, spilling some of the contents onto the pavement.

Weird, what are they doing here? Someone had painted a series of abstract symbols that I didn't recognize along the abandoned alleyway, even taking care to push away some of the rubbish into the corners. I picked the can of paint up, relieved to find that I hadn't ruined the design, except for a small smudge on the very edge of the artwork. Perhaps some new street art, which wasn't uncommon. Although I was hard-pressed to figure out what it was supposed to represent, I found myself almost hypnotized by the design.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to analyze the strange scene, but I decided to take a quick snapshot of it with my phone so that I could analyze the pattern another time. I turned toward the abandoned factory, staring up at it as memories flooded in.

The first time I saw this building was as a kid. My dad brought me to his work once to give me a tour of what he did for a living when I was only 5 years old. I remember being fascinated by the machinery and how it danced around, building other machines from parts along the assembly line. I knew from that moment on that I wanted to build machines like that. It was the start of my obsession that continues to this day.

Looking down at my watch, I knew I was cutting things close. I dashed toward the abandoned building and wrenched the door open. The smell of dust clung to the building. It had closed down several years ago and for some reason remained abandoned to this day.

My footsteps echoed against the walls as I crossed the large factory floor. On the other side stood an unlocked door that led to a maze of hallways. I'd been through here many times, so I knew the floor plan pretty well. Many hallways would lead to dead ends, empty rooms, and locked doors. I avoided these, making my way to the other side and through the exit.

As I stepped back out into the light, I could see my first destination, a small store on the corner of the block across the street, The Timeless Relic.

It was a small antique shop that I'd stumbled across in my first year at college. Sometimes, I would come across old abandoned pieces of equipment that I would strip apart either to figure out how it worked or use in one of my creations. The owner, Sam, knew me pretty well. He was in his mid-70s and had been running the shop for nearly two decades now. During my first visit to the store, I left with a box of old electronics that had been sitting in the corner of the shop for a while. Sam had been more than happy to get rid of it. Ever since then, he has set aside any old equipment he thought I might be interested in before even putting it on the floor.

A few months into my first year at university, I managed to create a small drone that could switch out lightbulbs from the scraps found in his shop. I thought it might be useful to Sam as some of the fixtures in the shop were in odd locations that made it difficult for him to change, so I gave the drone to him as a gift.

After showing him how to work the drone with a few clicks, we sat there talking into the evening. I told him about my life and stories of my family and school. He told me stories about growing up in this neighborhood and meeting his wife nearly 50 years ago. She was the original owner of the small antique store. She passed away 5 years ago, but instead of selling the business, he kept it running in her memory.

That night, he'd told me that if I wanted, I could use the small workspace in the backroom. He didn't have much need for it and he enjoyed the company. In exchange, I helped man the store from time to time or fix things up.

As I entered the shop, a bell connected to the door frame rang, announcing my entrance.

"Hey Sam, it's just me," Sam was sitting behind the counter reading a book. His gaze glanced over the top as I announced my entrance.

"Oh, hey James, big day, right?" I'd told Sam all about the importance of this project. I'd also spent plenty of days complaining about Miss Carrington, so he knew all about my frustrations.

"Yup, can't stay long, missed the bus, so I'm running a bit late," I looked down at my watch. Only 45 minutes until I needed to be in class. I had hoped to have a little more time, but I could still make it if I hurried.

I rushed into the back room, switching the light on. There, on the table in the corner of the room was my project. I had gutted an old antique doll that had been sitting in the store for years. I didn't spend much time on the aesthetics of it, so it looked a little creepy like some mad scientist cybernetic creation. The eyes had been replaced with camera lenses and there was a small speaker where the mouth had been. Various cables were connected along the back along with a few ports for updating firmware and uploading the training data to it.

I quickly opened the panel on the back of the doll, carefully seating the new chip I had been working on in the empty space on the motherboard. I pulled the flash drive from my pocket and connected it to the USB port, flipping some switches as it powered on. If everything goes well, it should be loading in the new data I compiled last night in moments. The whir of fans kicked in along with some status lights as the startup finished.

I held my breath, waiting for the moment of truth. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest. Sam stood in the doorway watching with anticipation. It was taking longer than usual to boot up, but I expected that. That didn't stop me from tapping my foot nervously muttering "Come on" over and over again.

Seconds ticked over into minutes, increasing my anxiety as I watched the flashing green and red status lights flicker. Suddenly, they powered off and there was an eerie quiet to my invention. Had it failed? Did I miss something in my final calculations?

I let out a deep sigh, on the verge of giving up as my mind raced to the worst-case scenario. I would fail this class and lose my scholarship. I felt my dream begin slipping away from my grasp as my shoulders slumped.

"Hello, you look sad, what's wrong?" a feminine voice poured out from the speaker. It was strangely human; different from previous iterations, which sounded like one of those voice-to-text apps that were common. It almost sounded like genuine concern.

I looked up in shock at first, staring straight at the doll sitting in the corner, then back to Sam who just shrugged, looking somewhat amused. I looked back at my workbench, my mouth hanging open.

"Did I say something wrong?" it spoke again. I couldn't believe it, it worked! Sudden adrenaline poured into my veins from the excitement.

"No, of course not! Not anymore" I quickly stepped closer, inspecting my creation, elated as I began checking it over.

"Oh, okay, where am I?" it asked. I smiled, looking down into its eyes.

"This is my workshop, I created you here," I said.

"Thank you, I am most appreciative. What is your name?" she inquired.

I began examining my creation with extreme curiosity, I responded, "James, and what is your name?"

"My name is Aurora, it's nice to meet you, James! Who is your friend?"

Sam became more interested as the robot asked about him. He stepped into the room, becoming just as interested as I was in the interaction occurring, "It's nice to meet you as well Aurora. What a pretty name!" I looked over my shoulder at Sam, "That is Sam. He runs this shop."

"Oh, you mean The Timeless Relic?" she asked. Neither of us had mentioned the name of the shop.

"Yes, that is where we are at, but how did you know the name of the shop?" I asked, hoping to get some insight into its learning process.

"Easy, I used my GPS to find the general area that I am at. Since we are inside, the accuracy isn't great, but once I cross-referenced the local owners of shops close by, I found only 3 owned by someone named Sam. I looked through various social media and found only 1 of those that are connected to a James, or should I say James Avery," she answered the question as if it was as simple as that. What was staggering was that she learned to do this investigation so fast. Technically, she shouldn't even be connected to the internet right now.

I became more fascinated by the minute. How was this even happening? Yes, I was attempting to create a robot that could act, feel, and respond, but this was beyond my original intention, or even what I thought was possible. I just stood there, mouth agape as I contemplated the possibilities. Forget some school homework assignment, if this is what I think it is, I would instantly be known in the field of engineering, robotics, and AI.

"Did I say something wrong, James?" I heard the small doll on the shelf utter, breaking me from my train of thought.

"Oh, n... no, nothing is wrong, I was just wondering how you managed to access these things. Are you connected to the Internet?"