Chapter 03 The Mysterious Stranger

    "Nice choice," Melody said.

    By the time the Roberta had her order served to her, Pippkin explained about The Lab, and what they did there.  Roberta was horrified when he told her about the mind stripping, and what the suits did.  “Which is why I appreciate my host,” Pippkin said as he patted Melody, pulling her close.  “Me host put me on voluntarily, and wasn’t mind-wiped.”  He tapped his head.  “We could say we have a beautiful relationship.”

    Pippkin then turned to what happened last night.  “Those nutters won’t be hurting any one again, if ‘ve anything t’ say about it!”

    “Incredible!  They intended to turn Melody and her mother into automatons!”

    Pippkin answered “Quite right!  ‘oweva, I called you down ‘ere to help me and Scarlet put those scallywags away!  Not even I ‘spected they’s stoop so low!  I need you to be Melody’s combination governess and bodyguard.  These aren’t the kind of people ‘ew leave loose ends”

    Roberta looks at Melody, then back to Pippkin  “I’ve figured out why they went after Melody and her mother. Her mother saw them delivering certain chemicals, although I doubt she knew what they were.  I did.”

    Pippkin scratched his chin.  “Tell me more.”

    “I didn’t know what they were used for,  I knew it couldn’t be good.  I wasn’t disappointed when I figured it out.  When the chemicals are combined,  they make a liquid or gas that stimulates pleasure,  and makes anyone affected suggestible.  They tend to deliver it in stages, too, one ingredient after another.”

    Melody gasped.  “That sounds like something from a Tim Burton movie, only with non lethal Smilex!” 

    Pippkin didn’t even blink.  “Par for the course for those nutters!  Melody ‘ere wants to ‘elp too.  I’ve agreed to train her.  To ‘elp ‘er become a character in ‘er own fairy tale, if you will.  I also expect more goons will be on the way.  What do’ya say, Miss Anderson?”

     Roberta looked the bunny in the pink eyes.  “I gladly accept, Mister DuCaine.”

     Pippkin smiled.  "Cracking!  Like i said, Melody 'ere will be staying with Scarlet an' me.  We spent the mornin' dew'n some shoppin'.  Yew know,stuff a girl 'er age needs.  Yer first assignment is to get'her some stuff she wants."  He reaches in a pocket, and pulls out the fattest wad of bills Roberta had ever seen!  "'Ere y'go.  I'll start ya with a Grand.  Get 'er wotever she wants, and concider the rest you're first paycheck."  Roberta quickly counted it.  A thousand dollars!  She'd never had that much at once! Ever!

    Pippkin then reached into another pocket and took out a folded piece of paper.  When he opened it, there was a new key inside."The key is to my apartment, and the paper 'as the address.  Get 'er home safe, and a'fore supper!"

    "Where is it?" Roberta asked.

    "Just north'a Oceola Square Mall, right across the street.  Can't miss it."

    With that,Roberta took Melody's hand, and took her to the bus stop at Main and Vine.  As they stood in the bus shelter, Roberta asked Melody, "I understand the local transit company has weekly and monthly passes. Do you have either?"

    Melody shook her head.  "My mom and I haven't been here that long.  I haven't heard of them.  I do have this,though."  She took a small book of pink tickets out of her purse.  Each said it was good for one ride on any LYNX regularly sceduled bus.  She tore off two of the tickets, one for Roberta and one for herself.

    Roberta then had another idea.  "Do you have a bicycle?"

    "A Castmember in California taught me how to ride, but I never had one of my own."

    Roberta raised an eyebrow.  "Castmember?"

    Melody made a silent eep.  "Disney's big on using theater terms.  Employees are called Castmembers, customers are Guests, where Guests go is Onstage, where they don't go is Offstage, and so on.  I'll be sure to get you up to speed on the terms.  Back in California, I was dropped off at Disneyland after school, because my mom worked there.  Sure I got teased a lot in school because of that, but I didn't care!  I had the greatest playground on Earth!  I was so accepted by the Castmembers, they thought of me as one of them.  Sometimes, they would even let me be a strolling Character, like my mom.  I loved it!"

    Roberta asked, "What characters were you?  Alice?"

    "I was her this morning," Melody said as she gave her a curtsy in her flowing costume.

    "I had to ask."

    The large pink and purple bus stopped at the Main and Vine bus shelter.  Roberta and Melody gave the driver their tickets,and sat down.  Roberta made sure that Melody got the window seat.  Roberta could see right over her.  During the fifty minute trip, they went past the Gatorland Zoo, the Florida Mall, and eventually they arrived at LYNX Station in Downtown Orlando.

    Roberta noticed it's size.  The metal roof covered three concrete islands, each of which had loading areas for six busses.  Eighteen busses could discharge and load passengers at once.  

    She headed to the ticket windows were on the east side.  "I'll have two Monthly Passes, a Schedule Book, and a large Route Map." 

    The old man drawled.  "Would you like fries with that,m'am?" 

    This gave Melody a case of the screaming giggles.

    "Sorry, tourist joke.  From th' way ya walked up, you looked like a yankee t' me.  A hundret an' ten dollars for em all."

    Roberta handed the man the cost from what Pippkin had given her.  "Would you know if there was a bicycle shoppe on any of the routes?"

    The old man gave Roberta the passes, book, and map.  "I know of one place called Whizzer's Wheels.  Just down the route from that bus, the third from the first island.  And just so y' know.  All the buses have bike racks for y' to use."

    She thanked him, and headed for that bus.

    Once they boarded that bus, Roberta flipped over her pass and, taking a pen, put a small mark ninety degrees from the edge.

    Melody asked, "What are you doing?"

    Roberta replied, "A one way trip is two dollars according to the fares.  At fifty dollars, these passes are paid off in twenty five trips.  This is just to keep track of the trips."

    "Oh, I get it."  Then Melody asked for the pen and did exactly what Roberta had done on her pass before returning it back.

    Roberta signaled, and they were dropped of within sight of the "Whizzer's Wheels!" bicycle shoppe.

    The young man behind the counter wore a tight tee shirt with "Whizzer's Wheels!" emblazoned on it, tight pants, his athletic physique, and an smile that made Roberta uncomfortable.  "Laaaaaaaaaadies!"

    "Er-yes.  We need two bicycles.  A Women's model for shopping, and a girl's model for general transportation."

    The guy thought about it.  "I think I have what you're looking for!"

    He got out from behind the counter, and went to the racks.

    "This one's the Huff-matic Turbo 46-76 by Huffy.  As you see, it comes with an electric motor, two wheel drive, automatic transmission-meaning no shifting!-and folding baskets on front and rear axle.  Here's a nice feature-waterproof storage under the saddle!  It's on sale this week.  Four hundred and sixty two dollars."

    Roberta raised both eyebrows.  "That's pretty steep!"

    The guy shook his head.  "It's really half price.  It normally sells for nine hundred and twenty four dollars."  He then moved on to another rack.  Looking at Melody, he intoned, "I see you like Disney! I've got something for you:  The Disney Princess Special.  Limited Edition!  As you see,it comes with a custom paint job, pink hi-grip tires, exclusive Disney Princess basket on the handlebars, and even a matching helmet!"  

    By this time, Roberta was inspecting the Princess Special.  "Well,better quality than I expected.How much?"

    "Just three hundred ans sixty three dollars."

    "You're kidding me!"

    "No i'm not! This bike originaly sold for over seven hundred dollars."

    Roberta did some fast calculating.  If she bought both bikes, she would have just over sixty dollars left from the original thousand.  On the other hand, both were sturdy, basic transportation.  

    And the buses DID have bicycle racks.

    Roberta nodded "I'll take them."

    After paying the eight hundred twenty five dollars, she found she had only sixty five dollars left. 

    Melody gave Roberta a reassuring pat.  "I basically wanted a bike anyway.  From what we've done before you appeared, I'm pretty much set at home."

    Roberta nodded to Melody.  "Then let's head home."

    By the time they were headed back toward Kissimmee with three marks on their passes, a pair of bikes on the racks, and a bit of a 'what ho' moment for each of them.

    "Why are we going on the 18 instead of 4?" Melody asked.

    "Because this one will get us home in a shorter time." Roberta replied.  "Mind if I look at your pass?"

    Roberta compared Pass numbers:  Hers was 1701, but Melody's was 4077.

    "Maybe he dropped the box the passes was on and they got jumbled up."

    Roberta still wondered what could be the reason, but decided to file it away in her head for later.

    By the time Roberta looked up, the bus was already pulling up to the bus shelter at the Oceola Square Mall.  It looked as though it had seen better days.  And those better days were long gone.  Graffiti was all over it, several plexiglass panes were broken, and it looked as though a sneeze could topple it.  Once they got off and got their bikes, Roberta asked Melody "Ok, where's home?"

    Melody led her across Columbia street, the north border of the Mall to a sign painted Arbors of Sendera. As they walked up the entry road, Roberta asked why it was called Hideaway Bay Boulevard.  Melody didn't know, but that Pippkin might.  They turned left onto Bay Club Circle and went down a block, past the tennis courts on their right.  On their left were two two story tall apartment units, looking like large houses.  The next block had two more like it.  Melody turned into the parking area between them on the left.  At the end, she turned right, going past the first unit.  The second unit on the block was somewhat askew, being built at an angle to the roadway and parking area.  Melody entered at the rearmost door.  

    Roberta looked at the address she was given.  This was the place.  She unlocked the door and they brought the bikes inside.

    Looking around, no one would suspect that a couple of refugees from a theme park lived there.  The living room/kitchen area looked like anybody else's place.  However, Roberta suspected something wasn't quite right:  It was TOO clean and orderly, like something out of an  interior design magazine.  

    Roberta let hot air pass through her pursed lips as memories of that time in Connecticut flood her mind.  "Er, Melody, are you sure this place is . . ."

    A shaking by Melody brought her senses back.  "From what I heard from Mister Pippkin, he's a bit of a neat freak.  He also had help, which you might see soon.  But look over there!"  Roberta then noticed something on the couch, carefully folded.  Mostly, it was black silk, with white cotton.  Roberta picked it up.  It was a black silk dress that went down almost to her ankles, puffy sleaves going to her elbow, white cotton hose, black patent leather Mary Janes, and a full, white cotton apron, with a symbol on the chest area identical to the one on Melody's purse.

    Roberta showed it to Melody.  "What is this?"

    "I think Mister Pippkin brought it with him.  It looks your size.  Try it on."

    Roberta figured 'why not?'  She'd never worn a dress before. And Melody did look so cute! in her's.  She went into the room where Melody was pointing.  

    Roberta's first thought on entering was that the Disney Store was using this as a storehouse, or even a Showroom!.  Every possible piece of Disney Princess Merchendise was somewhere.  Fortunately, there were two beds.  One was the frilly canopy bed, she assumed was Melody's, and the other was plainer, with storage drawers up the wazoo.  This she assumed was her's.

    She started by puting her own stuff away. The tent wouldn't be use for a while, so she put it aside.  She did the same with her food and cold weather gear.  She put her four sets of pants, six shirts, and six pair of socks into drawers under her bed.  She also left her river sandals out.  Once she had gone through all her stuff, she put what she wouldn't be using back in her pack.  She then took off the clothes she was wearing, and went for the outfit Melody gave her.  

    She started with the cotton panty hose, rolling them up her legs, until it reached her waist.  Then came the actual dress.  She was confused.  Was it like a shirt-it went over your head?  Or was it like a pair of pants-you stepped into it?  She first tried it over her head, but found the waist was too small.  So she tried again, stepping into it.  This time it fit.  She reached in back, and puled up the zipper.  Then she buckled on her shoes.  Finally,She pulled the apron over her head, then tied it at the waist.

    She noticed one of the few non-Disney things in the room-a full length mirror.  She walked over to it, and looked.  The apron covered her from her shoulders to almost the hem of the dress. The apron from the waist down has several pockets.  The chest area had a sign on it, like on Melody's purse, but without the musical note.  The only part of the dress visable from the front was the sleeves, and a little bit of the neck.

    When Roberta exited the room, Melody screamed with delight!

    Roberta asked, "What?"

    "You look so cute in it."  Melody hugged Roberta's waist.

    Roberta shook her head.  "I look ridiculous in this!"

    Melody looked up at her and smiled.   "I take it you've never dressed up before."

    "I haven't.  Haven't had the chance to, actually."

    "Then we can get your imagination in practice.  It'll be fun, trust me on this."

    "Fun or not, I didn't expect to look stupid doing it."

    "You're not going to look stupid.  After a bit of a makeover, you'll look absolutely dignified as a caretaker.  In fact, I think I have something that could help."

    Melody looked over to where the dress was sitting, and she found a pair of half-height glasses, meant to hang low on the eyes.  "I think this will make you look more dignified.  Oh!  I just remembered:  Hair Styling.  Bend down for a moment."  

    Roberta did, and Melody tied Roberta's hair into a bun that any librarian or schoolmarm would be proud of.  She then put the glasses on her nose,then over her ears.  The lenses weren't ground, just thick, plain glass.  She asked, "Well?  Does it look any less stupid?"

    "You ask me, my dear, you look quite elegant."

    Roberta turned around to see Pippkin.

    "Although to be honest, you didn't have to put on that dress.  I just couldn't find a right wearer for it.  I just had it lying around somewhere."

    Pippkin smiled and put a hand on Roberta.  "Maybe you should continue the trend.  Melody has a very active imagination and likes playing Princess.  It'll be great to have a friend to play with."

    Roberta asked Melody, "How does one play princess?  I never actually played that before, or even seen it played."
    Melody smiled.  "I could teach you."

    Roberta replied, "Ok.I'll try."

    "Every little girl has in her dreams that of a princess," Pippkin said as he offered the tea with all the extras.  "A beautiful and smart girl for whom nothing is impossible.  That's what I had plan to develop in my dear Melody here.  Of course, I had to start with Disney Princesses."  He shook his head.  "I intend to make her an original Princess before I'm through with her."

    Melody giggled, "That face you made is too funny, Pippkin."

    Roberta mused, "But why don't you like Disney?"

    "You've gotta understand, I have nothing against the princesses themselves, but the company they're under.  I never was much for major corporations long before I started raging against HFL's machine. . . . how poetic.  Heh heh heh."

    "I still could just hear you argue with my mother over Disney World being just another corporate town with a flashy dressing," Melody said, and then made a mock British tone, " 'carrying their ant worker castmembers from the bloody womb to the bloody tomb.' "  She had to chuckle over her butchered rendition.  "Didn't think of it that way, though."

    "No business can own Magic, my girl," Pippkin said, leaning in to look in Melody's eyes.  "There's a whole world outside Disney, and I hope your Princessy life would be better enriched by it."

    "Well, then," Melody replied.  "I think you'd like what I saw in my dreams last night."

    Pippkin leaned back.  "What did you see, may I ask."

    "I think I . . . saw that Magical Girl I wanted to be."

    "Is it what you two wanted me to help with," Roberta asked.

    Pippkin nodded as Melody continued.

    "I saw her clearly in a mirror.  She drew me in with a sweet and amused laugh.  When I went up to the mirror, I saw her as my reflection.  She looked beautiful and even older even though we were at the same height.  She had on a black dress that looked like a tutu and a tux.  She didn't look like an evil Magical Girl.  More like a Magical Thief or something, like you are, Mister Pippkin."

    "Hmmmm."  Pippkin scratched his chin.  "Dark colors.  Was she doing anything sneaky like."

    Melody shook her head.  "I don't know, but when I moved, just to see what she did, she moved like a ballet dancer.  So smooth and graceful.  Quiet too, outside of her chuckle, she didn't make a sound."

    "A stealth-based Magical Girl," Pippkin said.  "That was something I wanted to teach you anyway.  And a sneaky type would be most suited for you."

    Roberta nodded.  "Did she ever do anything else?  Anything magical or anything."

    Melody scratched her head.  "I don't know.  Couldn't remember much."

    Pippkin added, "I've been thinking up ways so that I can make a technological approach to a Magical Girl's magic.  I can combine several fields in making little gadgets and tricks for her to learn."

    Roberta hummed.  "I think I can help with that parts as well."

    "I can't wait to become her, Mister Pippkin, Maiden Roberta."

    Roberta still didn't get used to being called that, even if it is from a Play Princess like Melody.

    "I think I know how to start, my dear," Pippkin said as he stood up. "As you know by now, I've claimed the neighboring apartment, and made one of the rooms up as a studio to start your training.  It isn't much, but I think you'll like it."

    Melody was curious.  "What are we going to start with, not that I mind.  I can't wait to start."

    Pippkin nodded knowingly.  He heard her tell him to "Beat her to shape," and despite his utter displeasure of harming the girl, he knew she wanted to train her heart out.  "Well, she was a ballerina, right."

    Melody nodded.  "She had a tutu skirt and ballet slippers over her tights."

    "Well, that's what we're going to start with."

    They entered the neighboring apartment.  One wall was covered with several frameless wall mirrors mounted almost all the way to the ceiling.  Across them was mounted a stair bannister as a ballet barre.  The raised floor was covered with hardwood planks.  On each wall was a mounted a television.  Directly across from the mirrors was a wide screen television and DVD player.  Near the studio floor was a Disney Princess Lighted Vanity in a walk in closet.  On either side were hung a good collection of leotards, unitards, tights, and tutus, each in a color of the crayon box, save for black, which was put at the far end.

    Roberta commented, "Mister DuCaine, you have obviously been quite busy."

    Melody gasped.  There was some details that were amiss, it was hard to get it exactly in the way of her dreams, but she saw a Tuxedo Tutu exact outfit similar to what she'd dreamed last night, hanging in the dressing room! "Thank you, Miuster Pippkin! Thank you! It's just like i dreamed!"

    Roberta gave Pippkin a glance.  "Did you have something to do with her dream last night?"

    Pippkin shook his head.  "Nothing out of the ordinary.  But since I wear tuxes all the time, I think it rubbed off."

    Roberta thought 'riiiiiight!'  Then she told Melody, "Let's see you wear it." 

    Melody giggled with delight, and closed the closet door.  Roberta opened the cabinet beneath the wide screen TV, and found the DVD rack.  She saw several dance instruction DVDs, especially ballet.  She also saw seven anime DVDs titled 'Mysterious Thief Saint Tail'.  The heroine's costume on the case looked almost exactly like what Melody had found!

    She held one up and asked, "Mister DuCaine,is this yours?"

    Pippkin smiled and responded, "No, luv.Those are Melody's.  No doubt where she got the dream from." 

    While that answer made a kind of sense to Roberta, she still didn't trust the bunny.

    "Absolutely superb!" Pippkin exclaimed.

    "I look like a blend of Saint Tail, Sailor Moon,and Princess Tutu!" Melody said.  "I think it'll be perfect for my adventures."

    Pippkin nodded.  "Of course, but first things first."

    Melody nodded.

    "For starters, I'd like you to always have on those slippers.  Not only will you be learning balance and grace, but also how to move quiet.  Stealth is going to be a major part of your Magical Girl training, and I'll be focusing on that a lot."  He motioned to a good sized box with a couple dozen.  "And you can use a training costume for your lessons since we don't want your Magical Girl outfit too messed up."

    Roberta scratched her chin.  "You know, I think I can still improve on that, add my own tweaks."

    "That'll be perfect."  Pippkin said, as he watched Melody try her hand on the barrister.

    "That's something I should be expecting," Melody said during a pause, "She gives orders like a commissar of a Siberian death camp."

    Roberta nodded.  "Good thing we just got a tape."

    Melody wasn't sweaty, but tired and exited.

[bar]

    After a few more practicing without the tape, Melody was tired enough to enjoy a good nap.  She put her 'special' costume away, and took a bath on the way to bed.

    While Melody was taking that shower, Roberta snuck into the dance studio.  Pippkin and Scarlet were in their own bedrooms, so the lights were off.  A directed light emerged from her right pinkie.  She took off her hat, then her apron, then her shoes, then her dress, leaving her only in her stockings.  She searched through the DVD rack, and found that very same "Ballet for Beginners".  She took the disc out of it's case,then peeled down a section of her forehead.  She pushed a tiny button, sliding a CD/DVD player out.  She put the disk in the drawer and shut it.  Closing her eyes and plugging her ears, she concentrated on the data streaming through her body intelligence processors.  After a high speed playthrough, where she anylized all the movements, she stepped up onto the dance floor, and went through the entire routine, perfecting every movement.  Once she did, she took out the disk, and put it back, then she put on her outfit.  By the time she was done, even Melody was in her bed asleep.  She silently snuck back into her bed, being careful not to wake Melody.

    Melody awoke in the middle of the night.  She saw Roberta laying on the bed on the other side of the room.

    She was lying there, unmoving.  Not even breathing.  Not a single sound.

    Melody got concerned.  She quietly got up and went over to Roberta.

    She put her ear to Roberta's chest, and did a double take.  She wasn't sure what she heard, but it sure wasn't breathing!

    Her hand brushed Roberta's forehead, and her double take became a triple take when she felt something give way.

    It grew to utter shock when she turned on a lamp.

    The lights showed the top of Roberta's head flipped open like a weird kind of compact.  For a brief instant, she thought Roberta really was hurt, until she saw that--one--there was no blood, and--two--the flipped compact part looked more like it could just snap back in place.

    Melody opened it further, and saw that Roberta's skull was had various electronic devices lining the skull.  She saw a cd/dvd player, flash card readers, serial bus ports, vhs player, tape player, floppy disk drives, and other components she couldn't recognize.

    Click.  "Oops!  I thought I'd show you this later, and in a less freaky way.  Sorry about that, Melody."

    That was Roberta, who talked to her just as her eyes snapped open, doll-like.

    As Melody leaned back to see Roberta.  As she reached up to her head to close the clamshell on her head, she commented, "I think this got a bit dislodged when my hair was put in a bun."

    Roberta then stood up to straighten her dress, and then sat back down.  "You have a lot of questions about now."

    Melody nodded, smiling.

    Roberta then offered Melody her lap, and she sat in it.

    "As you have probably guessed, I am not human.  I am a humaniform robot, a fully artificial being.  What you saw in my head are recording/playback devices.  Several clusters of devices distributed all over my chassie constitute my brain.  However, like you, I wasn't programmed.  I learned.  In fact, I learn in a month what you would take a year to learn.  What you saw me in was my sleep mode.  All my physical functions shut down, and my brain goes over my memories of the day, to sort them out and make sense of them."  She sighed.  "Although,I'm having no success with today! If there's time left over, I then free associate. It's probably what humans do when they dream, but it's close enough for me.  I hope to find some of my own theories with your Magical Girl dream by morning."

    Melody asked, "What were those strange noises in your tummy?"

    Roberta smiled and answered, "I have two power sources.  My skin is a large, flexible solar cell.  I consider that my main source.  My secondary source is my artificial stomach, which allows me to get energy from food, just like you do.  What you heard was my dinner digesting."

    "Why do you look so real,then?"

    "The one who built me wanted me to live among other people.  To be treated as a person.  I was to blend in, so I was designed to look absolutely average.  What my builder didn't count on, was that i'd develop an actual personality!"

    Melody giggles.  "Where did you get your name? Did your creator give it to you, or did you name yourself?"

    "Well, I prefer to call him my Builder.  I was taught that there is but one Creator, who took nothing, and made everything.  Everyone else takes what is there, and rearranges it.  That's what I am, a clever rearrangement of what was there before."  She then chuckled.  "Sorry, got a bit carried away, but yes, my builder did named me Roberta.  However, since I have no family or linage, I can change my name at will.  In fact, one of the names I use almost as often, happens to be Andrea Roberts."

    "I have a cousin Andrea back in California!  She's younger than I am."

    Melody nodded, and went back to bed.

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