/ Ary
As we got back into the elevator with TaeYeon, the chatter of the room was closed off.
"So, you really want to get them cleaned up, huh?" - I asked TaeYeon.
"We need more people on our side. With how those three just went ahead and gone along with the outing - they seem like the capable ones. Albeit being rash and not really planning much." - TaeYeon replied.
The doors opened, we went inside the med-bay room. After roughly 5 minutes, maybe even 10 - Ana, Sujin, Michael, Jane and Isabel came in.
"Killian went off to rest." - Isabel began, as they all stepped into the room. - "It seems like the depressive episodes are now a thing with the ones in the bunker. The whole change from the system to reality does feel like a radical change."
"So it persists, huh?" - Ana lets out a sigh.
"What do you mean?" - Sujin adds.
"I mean that people who spent eons in the system developed the habits and traits which are pretty hard to let go of. Like Verin still doing that hand thing she did as an Oracle. Or how Killian is wary of people around at all times, still projecting the traits of those people which they had in the system. Or how Hikaru is still in the observer mode, pretty disconnected from all around him. Even how Niko is still on her quest with that saviour complex absolutely blooming to no end. Others…" - Isabel checked the people in the room. - "Some of us are coping rather well, with the brain being more open to the scenario, whilst others try to excerpt the way things were in the system. With how things do not align - it's rather hard to get accustomed to new reality."
"So there could be requests about being put back into the system, I assume." - Ana lays down on one of the beds.
"That, or…" - Isabel eyes me, as I stand there next to TaeYeon. - "...Hm, so you two are concocting something, huh?"
"Ana gave you two authority, this much is there. So what do you plan?" - Jane crosses hands on his chest.
"I want you to follow me." - TaeYeon replies. - "I need to do something which will benefit you, as well as us… In the long run."
"Me?" - Sujin points at herself.
"Mhm." - TaeYeon replies. - "Sujin, Michael and Jane."
"Awww, you're leaving me out of this?" - Isabel pouts.
I take a look at TaeYeon, he looks at me. It seems we both are considering this pretty seriously. Then he nods.
"Fine." - I let out. - "You come along as well."
"No, Isabel stays here." - Ana coldly states.
"Why?" - TaeYeon asks.
"Coz I need her here right now. You'll know later. Off you go. Follow the two authority boys. You're in for a good ride." - Ana responds sarcastically.
After a moment of silence, TaeYeon leads the group into the elevator. Isabel and Ana stay in the med bay. I follow along with TaeYeon. It was rather a funny ride in the elevator. It felt like the unspoken rule was followed, along with the belief that it was really for a certain level of betterment.
Once we got to the floor we were not too long ago - that made few get agitated.
"So this is the level of things that BITTech were hosting on 'their turf'. How poetic." - Jane let out.
"You mean that in the most sarcastic or most ironic way possible?" - Sujin added.
"The most unhinged." - Jane took a deep breath, then a long sigh. - "So what exactly are we up to in here?"
"Well, you have to step into this thing one by one." - TaeYeon showed them the tech contraption Ana used on us a few moments back.
"Is that safe?" - Michael squinted at the tech. - "Looks like a subtly twisted Iron Maiden, to be honest."
"I wish." - I rolled my eyes. - "But it is a bit better, to be honest. Or, well, I think so."
"Pfft. Very motivating indeed." - Michael let out and laughed. - "So who is up first?"
Sujin stepped in first. The process did not take long. The after effects were the same as us, then, well… It was Michael, after that it was Jane.
The whole floor was littered with the gunk with the bunch of the micro-bits wiggling about like maggots.
I went ahead and walked over to that box Ana pressed where the robots came out cleaning up the place. Touched the box, robots came out to clean up.
"Those were the bots that kept us going?" - Michael was still a little sick from seeing that.
"Mhm, at first operating through the IV systems, as they'd use that as a recharging point, then our internal electricity, as human beings produce that either way. Without it we would not really function now, would we?" - TaeYeon explained.
"So that's what it was… Geez." - Jane took a deep breath. - "I need a mouthwash or something."
"You're not the only one." -Sujin winced. - "Medbay?"
"Medbay." - Michael tiredly let out.
In the Medbay we once more met with Isabel. She checked our health, gave us some meds and asked to stay here and get some sleep. Preferably. After I asked where Ana is, Isabel only replied with: "You should rest first. As I mentioned - try to get some sleep. You'll need it. And I'm sure she'll get you when it's time." With that she left us be.
"Fun. What exactly was the other part of the plan then?" - Jane asked, as he was in bed.
"I'll take over a bunch of the robots and androids to construct the living quarters. Rather enhance the one we're in currently. That's my task. About the whole other lot, that's Ary's job." - TaeYeon tiredly said, as he too laid in bed.
"A shut eye is a must now. So get some sleep, boys." - Sujin stretched in her bed.
Silence was instilled in the room. The breaths of others evening out. It was really relaxing. I felt as if I was dozing off. Then I heard the buzz of the elevator, the soft footsteps on the floor, hushed whispering, then another set of footsteps followed along, as they left the Medbay.
But for some reason the 'tired' would not let me be, so I did relax and feel as if I dissipated in the ether.
The dream I had was about my time in the castle, when I was left with Yuki and Gabriel. A very stranded situation. Although it was not really a curse that bound us to the place, it was more of a sense of 'nowhere else to go'. Yuki at first was really eager to find a way back. I did try a lot of different ways to send him over to the realm he came from. But somehow all the efforts were futile. Gabriel was trying to be helpful, supportive even. But for some reason - nothing worked.
Then came the sense of dread. Stuck in a burned down area, with little to nothing being grown here. My magic kept us going - through deliveries of food and clothes, the necessities and other things. I even conjured some minions who helped to acquire things. But they'd dissipate after the job was done. That magic was not permanent.
And so we were ending up in the same place each day. The three of us.
A room with a fireplace, an old dining hall. Now it was pretty much a really far-away memory of what it once was.
"Do you think I'll be able to return at all?" - Yuki looked like the last of ember was in him, slowly dying out.
"I believe you shall." - I replied, as much as I could with a comforting sense, but the words came out rather cold.
"It's alright. I'm slowly accepting the fact that I won't be able to go." - Yuki sat there, holding a mug with coco, staring into the void of fire. - "I feel like it will be the last adventure. Like a lengthy thing which will end."
"Don't be too harsh on yourself. There is a way. We'll find it." - Gabriel's tone, voice were reassuring. He really tried his best. Though I saw it then, in Yuki's eyes - the very much dreaded sense of escaping from reality - closing off internally. Yuki let out a short giggle, a tired kind. Trying to keep the air of fleeting positivity. But it felt like it was as solid as a soap bubble.
"I wonder if Erick will ever come back." - Yuki said, as he closed off into his own mind.
He was like that for months. Not really speaking, eyes empty, just - surviving day after day on some sort of autopilot. It was pretty hard to watch.
And I saw a lot during my service to the Mad King - the atrocities against the many beings, the harsh way of his dictatorship, the hunger for things he could not sate no matter what he did. It was really the epitome of the greed, the wrath and something entirely not feasible to the naked eye. A darkness which was really hard to explain. And watching the witch, Niko, go all out in this matter of twisted love day after day - executing orders in pursuit of fleeting recognition - it was a sad thing to watch. Even though I indulged endlessly in the pleasure of body, food and other things - it was still, at times, too much to witness. Or rather - play a blind witness to whatever that 'King' did.
"Maybe one day we'll see something other than burned ground, with the smell of the empty surrounding it. Maybe there'll be a day where we'll smell the flowers on the field, enjoy the time with people who love us. And truly be able to be happy. Right where we belong. Not where we are a speck of dust, in the pile of endless bottom of the abyss." - Yuki once said, as he stood there, by the window, looking out. The moon was shining brightly, with ground as if covered in silver. And his eyes - somewhere in search, along with the mind that was really far away. He did long for home. I felt then that I was the same - longing for home. A pursuit of belonging.
When Niko came with Erick - the whole thing seemed to flip upside down. The journey taken - it allowed me to watch how Yuki seemed to regain the spark in his eyes. When he spoke to Erick. Though, the further we went - the more I saw it - it was a lie.
Erick was forgetting the details of his life with Yuki. Of that world, of those experiences. Yuki was feeling even more alone. And the further we went - the more apparent it became - Yuki would not be able to go back. The feeling was suffocating.
During the crush of the castle - we got separated. I sensed that Niko was taken away. Erick and Gabriel zapped out somewhere. I was there with Yuki. I held his hand, trying to not let go, trying to keep his safe. Though we were in a hall which broke off - a dark pit in front of us.
"It's my time to go, Ary." - Yuki softly spoke to me. His eyes were smiling - that tired smile of someone who gave up. I tried to hold onto him, but he pulled my hands away, stepping closer to that hole, with seemingly no end.
"It's alright. Really. You live your life fully, friend. You can make it." - He said, Yuki said that to me and just fell into that place. I… I could not do a damn thing - just watched as he disappeared into that darkness. There was a thud. No more sounds were after.
He did find it too much, I saw his struggle, his trying. But then so much later - he was not able to keep going. I felt rather empty after that. Like Yuki did not just take himself out, but a part of me too. It was agonising. To once more begin living. Well, trying out at it, to be honest. It was gruelling. I kept beating myself up over not finding a way of getting him back. Over not being able to help. Over being such a frivolous observer to someone's pain and struggle.
Then I escaped in my own way, as Killian appeared to me, his hand stretched out to me, as he warped me to his realm. Being in there, learning anew, spiraling into all the unhealthy ways of how one could do. Perhaps due to my struggle of letting go of Yuki in such a manner. Then the struggle of trying to find similarities, replacement, something which would jerk me into believing he was still out there and I was not at fault.
Clubs, clubs, people, people, sex, sex.. On and on. Like a merry-go-round of a really sad escape route.
I woke up, still groggy, as someone shook my shoulder gently. It was Isabel.
"Shh," - She whispered, then handed me a glass with water. - "Have some. It'll feel better"
I took the glass, drank the liquid, still half-asleep, the water tasted like a field of flowers.
"Sleep, my boy. I'll watch over you." - Isabel whispered to me, as she took the glass back, then gently pushed me back down again.
Once more I dozed off in an instant.
Waking up felt nice. Body was lighter, so was my head. The other beds were empty. Isabel sat at her table. The moment she noticed I've sat on my bed, she turned around to face me.
"Ah, feeling better?" - Isabel said softly with a smile.
I gave a nod.
"Good. Ana said that you can proceed with checking the rotten apples. She looks forward to what you'll do." - Isabel picked a phone looking thing, then got up and walked over to hand it to me. - "She said this will help."
I took the thing in my hands, light, sort of like the old smartphones we had. Though I wonder if that will work.
After thanking Isabel I walked over to the side of the bunker where I typically resided. The place was rather calm, somewhat quieter than before. Once I got to the rooms, where there's no tech, where we had our rooms sorted, I noticed that Hikaru was sitting on the couch.
"You're back." - Hikaru perked up once he saw me walk in.
"Indeed." - I let out. - "Where's everyone?"
"Ah…" - Hikaru took a breath, then looked around, then back at me. - "Most likely up there in the office side of things. I was sort of 'shooed' out of there by Mia. She said that my presence is distracting to some."
"Pfft, I can imagine her say that." - I said, as I walked towards our rooms.
"So what will you do?" - Hikaru's voice came from behind.
"Shower first." - I replied.
"Shower?" - Hikaru sounded closer. I suppose he got up to follow me about like a puppy.
With that there, I still walked in, grabbed some change of clothes, then off to shower. Water felt great on the skin, like the whole lot was running down, whatever weariness that was left - dissipated.
"Where's your metallic thing?" - Hikaru asked.
"Huh?" - I turned to him, as he stood watching me.
Hikaru pointed over to his ribs, then at me. I looked down at myself to notice that indeed - no exoskeleton. Did Isabel remove it?
"Does it feel better without it?" - Hikaru asked, as he looked at me somewhat a bit jealous.
"Yeah," - I breathe out. - "It does feel easier to breathe."
After washing up, drying and putting the new set of clothes on - I walked over to the computer room. All the while with Hikaru on my tail.
"You're that bored, huh?" - I ask him, as I sense that there might be more going on.
"What are you going to do?" - He asks me, as he watches intently at all that I do.
"If I tell you, will you share it with others?" - I look him in the eyes. Hikaru seems confused for a moment, then a smirk appears on his lips.
"So it's in line with whatever Ana is up to, I assume." - He says to me, tilting his head, eyeing me from top to bottom. - "I wonder what she did to you. Looking better, so rested, energised even."
"If you want to have the same thing, you should make sure to have a good kind of 'something' you can do for us." - I reply, as I lean my rear onto the table.
He leans onto the door frame, crosses his hands on his chest, still looking at me.
"Do you…" - He begins. - "...suspect someone here? Like, on a somewhat odd level? Or is it that there's a cool quest you've been handed to sort something out?"
"More like - I have a cleaning job. One which might not really seem nice to some of these particular cave dwellers." - I feel like we're in a shady staring contest. That or a mental stand-off. Though, his curiosity shall make him cave in. I'm sure of it.
"Like what Ana did before?" - Hikaru asked. - "That moment when she removed some of the people from cryo-chambers and got them all as fertiliser. I wondered what they did… Until I went after them all to check their data next to the chamber, then checked that with the office floor David came from. Those computers sure have some extensive information on them. All of those were quite the bunch of different shades of bad. From really bad, to so bad they should die."
"Hm, you went that far…" - I looked at him.
"I did." - He replied. - "I assume now we're onto the next stage of that, are we?"
I gave him a smile and a nod.
"So will you share it with others, or keep it a secret?" - I ask him.
He walks over, then takes the phone thing in his hands. Turns it about, as he looks at it.
"Tell Ana that whatever you're up to - I want in." - Hikaru looks me in the eyes, serious, eerily serious. I nod. He puts the phone back down and walks off.
Sheesh. He made my heart race in some odd sense, like I was cornered there for a moment.
Since Niko was on his case quite the bit - he stopped trying to talk to us altogether. Like he shut himself inside of himself. Though he did leave off every now and again - disappearing somewhere. I always wondered where, but would not be able to find him, even if I tried. AIO would not tell me about his whereabouts even if I asked. That was rubbing me the wrong way, really.
But this now? He looks changed. Either that, or like his real self decided to finally come out. As much as that's interesting, that is also worrisome. What is he really like? In the system, from what he said - he was pushed aside quite fast from the moment he got it. Being in the Observer mode for a very long time. No way to change things, nor express himself, not even be heard or seen what so ever… For many many long years. That plays tricks with one's head. Plays really messy tricks.
With what I had in mind, I did eventually go and check the office level where David was originally from. The computers had indeed shown me even more information than expected. At some point Evie showed up, then without a word took the phone and asked to press on the screen a certain way. I did. Then Evie left. After a while I had a short video pop onto the screen where Ana explained how to use the device to point to the right people. Adding that the rest is to be watched once I'm on the hardware/wetware floor.
I did manage to get all the details of the people who were certified rotten core apples, then managed to mark them on the wetware floor, so that we'd know whom to get rid off when it all goes down. Took me a few days with all of this.
On the fourth day I had Hikaru come up to me, sharing that TaeYeon did a thing to him. Now he's in the deep with us. I had to check with TaeYeon.
Once on the floor which was under re-construction internally, I found TaeYeon monitoring the work, which was done by multiple robots, as those were doing the setting of the rooms, electricals and all else.
"So, Hikaru said that you made him 'one of us'." - I approached TaeYeon.
"More like he begged me to. But I just did the same cleanse that was done on Sujin and others. So, yeah. He's off his bits. Though I still wonder what his end game is. He seems a bit like a really two-faced snake. Something off about him, so keep watch, so that it does not bite into your ass." - TaeYeon replied.
"Yeah, that… How's it on your end?" - I ask him.
"Well…" - TaeYeon gestures with his hand over the construction in full throttle. - "Productive."
We had a giggle over this.
"Have not seen Ana for a while now." - I breathe out, as I turn to the window behind me, checking out the outside.
"Guess she's busy. I have not seen her either. Nor Jane, nor Sujin, nor Michael. Though, the damn Androids, the ones we pulled out then - those too are missing, just like the rest of them in that room, that box we saw. If my guess is right - she took off to even the game. Isabel seems to know something, but she keeps her mouth shut. Evie does not share shit. Others are busy bees across the multiple floors." - TaeYeon looks outside the window, then back at me. - "Just keep doing what you're doing. I think it'll all come together when she's back."
I gave a nod and set off once more to the other side of the bunker. Hikaru was in the cafeteria, eating. It became somewhat interesting to observe him in the ways of freedom. The new thing that was also pretty uncommon - to not have AIO in one's head. From the moment the chip was removed - the tiny buzz that was there at all times - ceased to exist. And now, if you want to know something - you have to say it out loud.
"Funny how now I must let the words out, to have answers." - Hikaru said, right as I sat opposite him. For I too needed to have some food.
The robots buzzed about, then brought me out a tray with plates and pretty decent food selection. I still wonder if we ever will get a meat that tastes more like meat.
"Was that not how nature intended - to speak, so that your thoughts come across and are understood by others?" - I poked my meal with a fork.
"Guess you're right… After all the time, to be with only my own thoughts feels rather peaceful." - Hikaru remarked.
"Well, some thoughts do not really let you off easy. Some do. Some haunt you to the very brink of madness." - I let out.
"Is that so?" - Hikaru gave me a curious glance. - "Own experience?"
"Own experience." - I gave him a nod. - "So what are you up to these days?"
"Doing what I've been told to do. Funny enough." - Hikaru replied.
"By whom?" - I checked him.
"By Michael." - Hikaru replies.
"Which one?" - I ask.
"The one that's on the outing." - He taps his fork on a plate, then eyes me in a not so nice way, one which makes a person uncomfortable. - "He sure is a handful. But he has a plan."
I let him be with that. As I wondered if that's the Michael who went off with Niko, or did this kid really get across to Michael who is the CEO. 'On the outing' could be both. If the first one would put my mind at ease - the other sure would do the opposite.
I felt a creeping feeling, the shiver down my spine, as Hikaru got up and went off into the living quarters. "Just you wait." - He muttered under his breath as he left. That's not good.