Volume 1: [How It All Began 🌅]
Chapter 1: New Home
Act 2: The Decision
After a whole day spent on their own activities, the Teletubbies slowly wrap up what they're doing. Po and Laa-Laa reluctantly set the yellow ball aside, and their laughter fades into the soft hum of the island's evening. Tinky Winky gathers his cards, slides them neatly back into their box, and heads for his room with a calm nod.
Dipsy is still sound asleep, his soft breathing the only sound in his quiet room.
One by one, the others retreat to their own rooms. The warmth and excitement of the day give way to the stillness of night. The house grows silent as they settle into bed, the soft rustle of sheets and the occasional murmur marking the end of the day. Soon all four are fast asleep, lulled into peaceful dreams by the island's music of distant waves and rustling leaves.
The Next Day
As dawn breaks over the island, the first rays of sunlight filter through the windows and fill the house with a gentle glow. Tinky Winky is the first to stir. He blinks his light-purple eyes against the morning light, stretches with a quiet sigh and gets up, calm and unhurried.
His thoughts drift for a moment to Noo~Noo, the mysterious figure who guided them here. The robot has been nothing but helpful. Still, a quiet suspicion lingers in Tinky Winky's mind, and he keeps it to himself.
After washing up and dressing in his usual purple clothes, he heads to the dining area. The soft hum of machinery greets him as he walks in, and there is Noo~Noo, already at work. His sleek frame moves with mechanical precision as he prepares breakfast, and plates and utensils clatter softly.
Tinky Winky watches in silence for a moment before he steps forward.
Tinky Winky: Good morning, Noo~Noo.
Noo~Noo turns slightly, and his glowing blue eyes meet Tinky Winky's.
Noo~Noo: Good morning, Tinky Winky. Breakfast will be ready shortly.
Tinky Winky nods. His face is neutral, but his mind is busy. He can't shake the feeling that there's more to Noo~Noo than meets the eye, but he decides not to say so. For now, he'll watch and wait.
As the smell of fresh food fills the house, the others start to wake. Laa-Laa is the first to join him. Her golden hair is a little tousled, and she greets him with a cheerful yawn.
Laa-Laa: Good morning! Something smells delicious.
Next comes Po, her red ponytail bouncing as she bounds into the room, as full of energy as ever.
Po: Morning! What's for breakfast?
Finally, Dipsy shuffles in, still rubbing the sleep from his emerald-green eyes. He moves slowly, but the sight of the table set for breakfast brings a small smile to his face.
Dipsy: Morning.
The four of them settle around the table, chatting and laughing while they wait. Noo~Noo moves quietly in the background, making sure everything is in order. Tinky Winky looks calm, but he keeps watching the robot with quiet curiosity, his questions about Noo~Noo's true nature never far from his mind.
Noo~Noo finishes the meal at the Food Machine, a huge contraption built right into the kitchen wall. It gleams in the soft morning light, its panels housing an array of utensils, tools and storage compartments. Noo~Noo's arms work in perfect harmony with the machine, selecting the freshest ingredients and arranging each dish with an almost artistic touch.
The plates fill up with perfectly scrambled eggs, golden toast and a variety of fresh fruit. A jug of freshly squeezed orange juice stands in the middle of the table, condensation glistening on its sides. Every detail is deliberate. Every movement is efficient.
When the last plate is on the table, Noo~Noo pauses. His glowing blue eyes sweep over the table, checking every detail. Satisfied that everything is in perfect order, he steps back and takes a moment to observe the harmony he has helped create.
Noo~Noo: Breakfast is served. Please enjoy.
The Teletubbies answer with smiles and cheerful voices. Po eagerly grabs the plate closest to her, while Laa-Laa carefully pours herself a glass of juice. Dipsy, still waking up, takes his time. Tinky Winky stays thoughtful, and now and then his eyes flick toward Noo~Noo, as if he's searching for answers no one has spoken out loud.
Once they're busy with their meal, Noo~Noo slips out of the room, his next task already clear in his mind. His steps make no sound as he heads for the bathing area. It's equipped with a state-of-the-art cleaning system, designed to give the Teletubbies every possible comfort.
His hands work deftly, adjusting the water to the perfect warmth and making sure the tub fills smoothly without spilling over. Steam rises and curls into the air, and the room fills with a pleasant, soothing warmth. He hangs fresh towels on a rack within easy reach and checks that the soap and shampoo dispensers are full and working properly.
When the final adjustments are done, Noo~Noo straightens up and scans the room one last time. Satisfied, he activates his internal communicator and contacts White.
Noo~Noo: The morning is going as expected. Breakfast has been served, and the bathing area is ready. All systems are fully operational.
White's voice comes through with its usual calm authority.
White: Understood. Keep monitoring, and report anything unusual.
Noo~Noo: Acknowledged.
The call ends, and Noo~Noo turns back to his work, making sure everything is in place for the Teletubbies. His movements are precise, yet there's a quiet thoughtfulness in the way he carries himself. These are simple, everyday tasks. But they carry a weight, an unspoken importance to the mission that he can't ignore.
Back in the dining area, he speaks to the group in his usual composed tone.
Noo~Noo: The bath is ready. You may use it whenever you like.
The Teletubbies look up from their meal, curious and grateful. Po is the first to speak, her voice light and teasing.
Po: Do you ever take a break, Noo~Noo? You're like a super robot!
Laa-Laa giggles, and even Tinky Winky's lips curve into a faint smile. Noo~Noo's mechanical hum grows a little louder, a sound almost like a chuckle.
Noo~Noo: Efficiency is my priority. Please, enjoy your morning.
With that, Noo~Noo goes back to his silent watch, observing them with an unblinking gaze that hints at a deeper purpose.
When his morning routine is done, Noo~Noo moves through the house with silent efficiency, taking care of the small but essential tasks that keep everything in perfect order. His glowing blue eyes sweep over the tidy dining area before he goes upstairs to the Teletubbies' rooms.
The beds are still faintly warm. The blankets are tousled, and the pillows are dented. Noo~Noo's mechanical hands move methodically, smoothing the sheets and fluffing the pillows with an almost human touch. There's a strange precision in every movement, and something more beneath it, as if tidying their rooms is more than a routine. A small ritual. A quiet preparation for a future no one can see yet.
As he steps back into the hall, voices drift up from the living area below. He stops, and the hum of his internal systems softens as he listens. His orders are clear, but the Teletubbies' little conversations often carry meanings that even his programming can't fully decode.
He goes downstairs. No one notices him. The four of them are sitting together in a rare moment of quiet reflection. Laa-Laa, her chin resting on her hand, is the first to break the silence. Her golden eyes move from one friend to the next.
Laa-Laa: Is our stay here... going well?
Her voice is soft, tinged with uncertainty.
Po leans forward, her eyes shining with hope and hesitation in equal measure.
Po: Can we stay here? It feels... nice, doesn't it?
Dipsy says nothing. His gaze is far away, lost in a maze of thoughts only he can find his way through. His fingers absently trace the edge of the table. His usual sharpness is dulled by worries he hasn't put into words.
Twenty minutes pass in a silence so thick it's almost solid, full of unspoken thoughts and flickers of unease. Finally, Tinky Winky, who has been staring at the far wall as if the answer might be written there, speaks up. His voice is calm, but it carries a depth that cuts through the tension.
Tinky Winky: That's why we're here, isn't it? We made that decision when we got on the boat... right?
The room seems to go still as his words hang in the air. They mean something a little different to each of them. Laa-Laa shifts slightly, thoughtful.
Laa-Laa: I think you were the only one who saw it that way, Tinky... but I think you're right.
Her voice softens into quiet acceptance.
Laa-Laa: We're already here. So... we've decided to stay. Right?
She looks around, her golden eyes searching for agreement. One by one, the others nod. It isn't enthusiasm. It's simply that no one objects.
Po's usual energy dims a little, replaced by quiet determination.
Po: Right. We're staying.
Dipsy's nod is so small it's barely there. His thoughts stay guarded. His agreement is a reluctant acceptance of something that already feels inevitable.
No one says it out loud, but the decision is unanimous, a silent pact made in that moment. They are here now, and the island, with all its peace and all its secrets, will be their home.
From the shadows, Noo~Noo watches, his glowing eyes unblinking as the weight of their choice settles over the room.
Far beneath their feet, in the cold glow of the monitoring room, two more pairs of eyes have been watching the whole time.
The underground base is quiet except for the low hum of its machines. Rows of screens cover one bare concrete wall, each one showing a different corner of the island: the kitchen, the hallway, the empty playroom, the trail into the forest, the field outside the front door. On the biggest screen, in the middle, four Teletubbies sit together in the living area, not moving.
The cameras catch every movement in the house, but not a single word. For words, White and Naa~Naa have Noo~Noo.
Naa~Naa is slouched in her chair with her boots up on the edge of the control panel. She hasn't taken her eyes off the middle screen in a long time.
Naa~Naa: Twenty minutes. Nobody's moved for twenty whole minutes. I thought the feed had frozen.
White stands behind her with his arms folded, as still as the Teletubbies on the screen.
White: It didn't.
On the screen, Tinky Winky finally says something. Laa-Laa answers him. Then, one by one, all four of them nod.
Naa~Naa sits up.
Naa~Naa: Okay, what was that? What are they nodding about?
White: We'll know soon.
On a smaller screen, Noo~Noo slips out of the living area and into the empty kitchen. He stops beside the Food Machine, where none of the Teletubbies can see him, and the glow of his eyes dims a little. A moment later, his voice comes through the speaker on the control panel. It's low and quiet, and it isn't the careful voice he uses upstairs. It's just Noo~Noo.
Noo~Noo: White. Naa~Naa. You there?
Naa~Naa grabs the microphone before White can answer.
Naa~Naa: We're here, Blue. What happened up there? It looked like the world's longest staring contest.
Noo~Noo: They've decided to stay. All four of them.
For a moment, no one in the monitoring room says anything.
Noo~Noo: Tinky Winky said they made that decision the day they got on the boat. Nobody argued with him.
Naa~Naa lets out a long breath and slumps back in her chair, grinning.
Naa~Naa: Well, that's good news, right? At least nobody's planning to swim home.
White doesn't smile. His eyes stay on the middle screen, where the four are getting up one after another, the way people do once something has been settled.
White: He's right. They made that choice the moment they stepped onto that ship.
He pauses.
White: So did we.
Naa~Naa's grin fades a little. She looks at the screens, at the island that will be their whole world from now on, and she doesn't argue either.
Noo~Noo's voice comes through again, quieter.
Noo~Noo: There's something else. Dipsy nodded with the others, but he didn't say a word. He doesn't trust this place. And Tinky Winky keeps watching me. He asks questions.
White: Let him ask. Just don't give him any answers.
Noo~Noo: I won't.
Naa~Naa leans closer to the microphone. Her voice softens, the way it only does when she talks to her brother.
Naa~Naa: And what about you, Blue? How are you holding up, all alone up there with them?
There's a short pause on the other end.
Noo~Noo: I'm fine, sis.
Another pause, longer this time.
Noo~Noo: They're... easy to like.
Naa~Naa smiles at the speaker, as if he could see her.
White says nothing. His eyes move to the small screen in the corner, where Noo~Noo stands alone beside the Food Machine with his head bowed. For a moment, White isn't in the monitoring room at all. He's back on the deck of the ship, the night before they sailed, listening to Noo~Noo ask him for a promise he hopes he'll never have to keep.
Five years.
He pushes the thought away.
White: Good work, Blue. Keep watching them.
Noo~Noo: Understood.
The speaker clicks off. On the small screen, Noo~Noo straightens up. His eyes brighten, his movements turn smooth and precise again, and he walks back into the living area as the calm, careful caretaker the Teletubbies know.
Naa~Naa stretches until her joints creak and swings her boots off the control panel.
Naa~Naa: I'm going to check the machine rooms and get some sleep. Wake me up if they start another staring contest.
Her footsteps echo down the concrete hallway and fade away.
White stays.
He watches the rest of the day go by on the screens. Po and Laa-Laa chase the yellow ball across the field. Dipsy naps. Tinky Winky plays solitaire by the window, glancing up from his cards every so often to check on the others. Noo~Noo serves dinner, and the four eat together, talking and laughing as if the long silence that morning never happened.
Then the sun goes down, and one by one, the lights in the house go out.
The screens switch to night vision, and the whole island turns gray and green. The house is still. The field is empty. On the forest cameras, the trees sway slowly in the wind.
And the chill comes back.
It creeps down White's spine, cold and familiar, the way it has every night since they first set foot on this island. He leans toward the screens and checks them one by one: the house, the field, the trail, the forest.
Nothing.
Only the wind, moving through the branches.
He tells himself it's nothing. He has told himself the same thing every night for more than a month.
Above him, four Teletubbies sleep soundly in the home they have chosen. Below them, in the gray-green glow of the screens, the Guardian keeps watch.