‘DARS, is Jenny ever gonna show up?’

Felicia was 26 years old. As DARS had predicted, Janice had overdosed on her drugs some time back. All that was left was Jenny. But there hadn’t been any sign of her in 20 years. Felicia was beginning to feel like the woman was simply a figment of DARS imagination… if DARS had an imagination, that is.

[Jenny recently had her 2nd child, it is unlikely she will go anywhere for the time being.]

Since the first encounter with Janice, Felicia would periodically have DARS check in on Jenny. Because her twin never met Darius, Jenny’s life fundamentally changed. She’d married a local dentist a few years ago and shortly after got pregnant. Felicia knew about the first and second child from DARS checking for her.

‘Was it a boy or a girl?’ She asked curiously.

[Girl.]

‘Oooooh, two little girls. Is Mr. Dentist happy? Or was he hoping for a boy?’

[He appears to be happy.]

‘Jenny’s pretty lucky. Even if she can’t marry Darius, marrying a dentist isn’t too bad either.’

[If the user says so.]

‘What? You disagree?’

[I have no opinion on who Jenny marries, as long as it’s not Darius King.]

‘Heartless.’

[As I have no heart, that is correct.]

She squinted at him. Was that a joke or was he just acknowledging a fact about his existence? It was so hard to tell….

‘So what if I wait another two years and Darius and Jenny never get anywhere close to each other?’

[That would be preferable.]

“Tsk, it’s not very exciting though…” she muttered to herself, ‘...and I’ll have stayed longer than I needed…’

[User, saving the timeline is not a game meant to keep you entertained.]

Felicia, who was lying in her bed with all the lights out, stiffened slightly in embarrassment.

‘I didn’t mean it….’

DARS face turned into a slanted line of disbelief.

[The user should think about the changes in the timeline like dominos standing on their sides. If the user wants to knock them all over, she can do so one by one. This will work, but it is inefficient. It is better to put them behind each other in a row, so that tipping the first one—]

“Tips all the rest, the domino effect.”

[Correct. If the user can “tip” a single domino and in so doing accomplish the goal of the mission, that is preferable than having to knock over many dominos to get the same result.]

‘Er, so work smarter not harder?’

[Yes.]

‘Could I leave early if I get really good at, er, tipping the timeline?’

[Yes.] DARS three dots scrolled across his face. [However, the extra goals are usually long-term and require the user to stay even after the main goal is accomplished. Even if they are not, unless the user hates the timeline she is in, it is… better to stay.]

‘Why is it better?’

[Life is worth living.]

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

[If the user can’t figure it out, that’s not my fault.]

“Tsk.” She pursed her lips. “Shouldn’t I leave now? Jenny seems focused on making a family and those kids will still be small in two years… what’s the point in me staying?”

[Until there is no possibility of Jenny and Darius meeting, the mission can not be counted a success.]

This was a logical enough reason for staying, so Felicia asked instead, ‘What happens when Darius turns 27 that makes it so that Jenny and him can’t meet?’

[Until that time is closer, I will not know.]

‘Wait, then how do you know that at 27—?’

[That information is restricted.]

“...of course it is…” She huffed grumpily, glaring at DARS.

[I can not see the future while in a timeline, only calculate future actions based on past behaviors. Sometimes the calculations are easy. For instance, Janice's personality and habits made it easy to calculate her future. Other times… it is much harder. When Darius turns 27, how the two will be permanently separated, that will be entirely up to Jenny.]

Felicia’s brow furrowed. ‘So, what, it’s like a fate thing?’

[Correct.]

‘...er… is it like… she has a particular fate? Like I did when I died? And Mr. King with his bad heart?’

[Yes.]

Felicia thought of something dreadful and her whole body went still.

‘DARS is… is Jenny going to die?’

[...]

“Oh God, Jenny’s going to die?!” Felicia was so upset she started speaking outloud, “But she’s not like Janice, she’s not crazy and she didn’t do anything stupid! And now she’s got two kids and a husband!”

[Death is not often fair. The user died young.]

“It was for a noble cause! But this— this isn’t right! Can’t we stop it?”

[No.]

“But—”

[User. Remember how your own existence came to be.]

Felicia frowned, “What? You mean that Jenny has to die for someone else to live?”

[It is always so.]

She gnawed on her lower lip, frustrated.

“I hate fate.”

[The user does not really mean that.]

“I do!”

[Then cease to exist.]

Felicia blinked. “...I mean, I don’t have a choice in the matter of existing… even if I wanted I can’t just… not exist.”

Even if she killed herself, something she wouldn’t do, that wasn’t the same as not existing.

[Does the user wish she never existed?]

“...” Of course not!

[The fate that the user thinks to be unfair and cruel is also that which gave her existence. It is what let her experience the love of a father, a mother, a friend. All the good in the users’ life also came because of fate. When the user thinks of those good things, can the user still say she hates fate?]

“...do I have to like fate just because I got some good things out of it?”

[Wouldn’t the user be a hypocrite for enjoying the good things in her life, while at the same time cursing the reason she has them?]

Felicia scratched her head.

“So I don’t have the right to be upset when someone dies? I can’t be angry about it and wish it didn’t have to happen that way?”

[I did not say that. Only that fate is not inherently evil. And the things you view as bad are a matter of perspective.] DARS floated down until he was eye level with Felicia. [The user should also remember that fate is not as strict as it seems. For instance, the user was fated to die, but how she died… that was up to the user. Mr. King was fated to die, but because of you he died happy instead of angry. Fate is often like that. A point in time a thing must happen, if it does not, other things cannot happen that must happen. But the details of that fate event are not set in stone.]

‘...really?’

[Rest assured, I have seen it myself.]

“Seen it yourself?”

[Yes, I have seen fate work over and over again. I am… familiar with it.]

Felicia blinked.

“Hey DARS?”

[Yes?]

‘Did you… exist before me?’

[Yes.]

‘What did you do before I was around?’

[I fixed the small errors in the timelines.]

Felicia’s eyes almost bugged out in surprise. She didn’t think he’d actually tell her! Sometimes she asked things knowing that there was a high probability the information was restricted. This was one of those times.

[User does not believe me?]

‘N..no… I believe you…’ She looked at him curiously. “What do you mean by small?”

[There are different kinds of errors in the timelines. Some are very small. Example: A rock was supposed to be in a certain place for someone to trip over but it was not there. I would make sure the rock was there, tripping the person.]

‘So you’re irritating people across timelines, huh?’

[That was just an example. I have also made sure groundwater formed in a particular place, later allowing a huge city to come into existence.]

Felicia’s lips twitched. He was saying all that without any emotion in his voice, but the words sounded awful… offended. She’d been casually teasing him, but it seemed she’d hurt his feelings.

Probably.

Just to be sure, she said, ‘I was just teasing. No need to get upset..’

A single dot appeared on DARS face. [I am not upset.]

She couldn’t help snickering, “Uh huh, suuuure.”

[...] DARS floated to the corner of a room, hovering just above the floor.

She crawled over to the edge of her bed and tried to keep a straight face.

“Don’t be like that,” She tried to sooth him, “I appreciate your hard work.”

[I am skeptical of the sincerity of the user.]

“I’m sincere! Why wouldn’t I be? You’re the best… er… dimensional automated repair system out there.

[I am the only dimensional automated repair system.]

Felica bit her index knuckle to stop herself from laughing. He was definitely sulking!

She felt like, ever since they’d reconciled, he’d been less… computer-like... and more of a person. Her initial doubts about his ability to feel had pretty much vanished. He definitely felt things, he just wasn’t always honest about what he was feeling. Or maybe he simply wasn't aware of them.

‘Are you really the only one of your… uh… kind?’

[Yes.]

‘Huh. Why is there only one of you?’

[I am very advanced.] He floated a little higher from the ground.

‘Advanced? So.. complex and difficult to replicate?’

[Yes, I am unique. There is no other existence like mine.] He was almost back to his original, standard floating height.

She watched this and thought he was a system with a lot of pride. He was also really easy to coax.

‘What makes you unique?’

[I can—] He suddenly stopped, his body lowering back down again. [....that information is restricted.]

Felicia’s eyebrows raised until they almost touched her hairline. He had definitely wanted to boast just then and gotten cut off. It had never occurred to her before but… was it possible he was frustrated about the topics that were restricted? He so frequently came across as smug or uncaring about his restrictions that it never occurred to her he might also be suffering because of what he couldn’t talk about.

Suddenly, she felt a little sorry for him.

‘Don’t worry about it. Were there a lot of small errors you had to fix?’

DARS shot back up in the air, [Yes.]

Her lips curled up in amusement. ‘And you fixed them all?’

[I am very good at fixing all the small errors in the timelines.] This time he floated back over to her. [That is why I am your guide. I know a lot about errors and how to fix them.]

‘So you’re like my, uh, senior in the field?’

DARS bobbed, [Yes.]

‘What makes an error easy or hard to fix?’

[If the error involves an inanimate object or an animal of lower intelligence, that is considered easy to fix. However, if it involves higher intelligent life, that is considered medium difficulty.]

‘So we’re doing medium difficulty jobs?’

[Correct.]

‘What about the hard ones? What do those involve?’

The circumference on DARS turned black and his volume lowered, [Imminent timeline implosion.]

‘That sounds super ominous.’

[It does not sound ominous, it is ominous.]

‘Have you ever seen an error like that?’

[Yes.]

‘Did you fix it?’

[No, I only fix “easy” errors.]

‘Huh, then who…?’

[That information—]

She waved her hand lazily at him, ‘Yeah, yeah, no need to say it.’

[Difficult errors were common when I first started.] DARS shifted the topic slightly. [But because I am good at my job, fixing all the small errors, they did not turn into big errors.]

Once again, he was speaking without any emotion, but the content sounded distinctly like boasting.

‘Oh… so you saved a lot of timelines?’

[Yes.]

‘By tripping people?’

[...]

‘Heh.’

[I can not fight with the user.]

‘Eh? When did I say I wanted to fight?’

[User did not say it.]

She paused for a long moment and then asked, ‘Wait, does that mean you *want* to fight with me, but can’t and it’s making you annoyed?’

[Since it is late, the user should go to sleep.]

‘Awwww… come on DARS, I was just teasing! Obviously your hardwork saved a lot of people!’

DARS face had a # on it, [User lacks sincerity.]

This time DARS didn’t even bother going to a corner. He went straight through the wall, to float grumpily by himself. Felicia watched him go and laughed uproariously.

-*-

“So we’re finally setting up a headquarters in Silicon Valley?”

Felicia was sitting in Darius’ office several days later, flipping through the papers that listed location and building schematics.

“This building we’re in now isn’t big enough anymore.”

Felicia stared at the ceiling, mutely amazed. It was 10 stories high and that still wasn’t enough.

“How much of the staff will we be moving to the new place?”

“As long as they’re willing, they can go. We already checked, most don’t have a problem moving. Those that can’t or won’t move, will be re-assigned to work under King System. This building will be converted into the customer service center for KS, so it works well for them. Only the executives and R&D are required to move. R&D is excited, the new building will be a big upgrade for them.”

“You managed to talk the Board down from outsourcing customer service?” Felicia hummed, noticeably pleased. This had been a point of contention between her and the board.

“I had to drag them into agreeing. They really didn’t want to keep it local. They’ve been seeing the numbers from other companies who already outsourced…”

“Tsk, tsk.” Felicia shook her head, “Just because every other company is doing it, doesn’t mean we should.”

Darius paused and said slowly, “They are right about labor cost saving...”

Felicia gave him a sharp glare.

“What have I said about this before? If you’re all so worried about labor, then just—”

“—give ourselves a pay cut first before going after other people’s jobs.” Darius finished, a slight look of exasperation showing on his face. “Giving ourselves a pay cut still wouldn’t save us as much money as outsourcing.”

“Then cut deeper.” She slammed the paper’s on his desk. “And relocate the new headquarters to a place with a lower cost of living and taxes and fewer state regulations. That will save money too.”

Darius’ eyes flickered with unwillingness, causing her to let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Oh, so if it’s something you want, then it’s ok to spend gobs of money without counting the cost, is that it?” She folded her hands over her chest stubbornly. “I have things I want too. I want us to be the kind of company that makes its employees proud they’re a part of it. I want to instill brand loyalty in our customer base so strong that, no matter how cheaply competitors go, they’ll still come back to us. I want the King name to be an indication of what we are not just who we are.”

Darius, who had heard all this before, quietly sat there and didn’t argue. They’d had this discussion before and he knew how it would end.

After she’d finished ranting, he mildly pointed out, “I was only repeating common opinion.”

“I know you think the same.” She pointed at him accusingly, “Remember this Dee, profit can be used to motivate people but it must never be the King Enterprise goal. Our goal is to be the best, get the biggest market share, and to crush the competition.” She paused, “Government law notwithstanding.”

“..yes, yes, I’m aware…”

“Don’t be aware! Take it to heart!” She smacked the arm of her chair. “It’s not like you really care about how much profit King Enterprise makes anyway. You just want money to pour into R&D and see what new things they come up with.”

“Naturally.”

She gave a sharp nod. “That being the case, don’t get bullied by the Board just because they’re loud and annoying. Stand up for your principles.”

“Those are your principles not mine.”

“Well, stand up for mine then!”

His lips flattened somewhat, “Why do I have to do it? You go and be bothered by them.”

“Hey! You and I both know I’m not any good in those board meetings.” She made a face. “The last time I fell asleep halfway through the meeting and started snoring!”

“Heh.”

“Don’t laugh! You should have woken me up!!”

“You were on the other side of the table. If I’d tried to wake you up, it would have been more embarrassing for you.”

“More embarrassing than snoring!?”

“Well…”

“You punk, you definitely didn’t wake me up because you were bored and thought it was funny.” She scowled at him, “I’ll get back at you for that someday… just you wait…”

He coughed lightly and tried to get the topic onto something safer, “You got what you wanted. Customer Service remains local. Are you looking forward to moving?”

She eyed him and snorted, well aware that he was trying to escape her wrath.

“Would I have agreed to moving headquarters if I wasn’t looking forward to it?”

“True.”

“Anyway, when are you going to start dating?”

He stared at her blankly, taken completely off guard.

“What?”

“How am I gonna get nieces and nephews if you remain perpetually single?”

Darius noticeably frowned. “Why am I the one who has to get married and have kids? What about you?”

“I don’t want to give birth,” She stuck her nose up in the air, “It’ll ruin my figure.”

“You can still get married.”

“Who would be good enough for me?” She flicked her hair behind her shoulder. “Is there a guy out there who can compete with me in looks, money, and still be decent? I don’t think so. I’m not lowering my standards just to avoid being an old maid someday.”

“If that’s the case for you, isn’t it more the case for me?”

“What? You need a woman to be as wealthy as you?”

“No but—”

“Anyway, me not having kids won’t hurt the world. Look at my Mom’s family. O’Hares breed like rabbits, there’s tons of us. You Kings though… I don't know what it is, but there’s never more than one kid per generation. If you don’t make a kid, that’s it. No more Kings in the world. And that…” She raised an eyebrow, “...would be a shame for everyone, not just me.”

Darius’ hands slightly clenched, “Dad didn’t have me until he was in his 40s. I’ve got time.”

“Not that I’m regretting Daddy’s decision since it’s why you exist, but wouldn’t it have been better if he’d had kids younger? Not only would there have been more of them, he….” Her voice lowered, expression sad, “He would have… been around to enjoy them longer.”

“So, what? I just marry whoever looks nice enough and is willing to have children with me? To carry on the family line?” He looked at her incredulously. “You can’t be serious!”

She hastily waved her hands, “No, no, no! I’m not saying that! But if you don’t at least date people, how will you ever meet someone? You’ve got to start somewhere.”

His face hardened and she felt a prickling sensation down her spine.

‘Frick— I think I made him really angry!!!!’ She mentally clung to DARS for support.

[I told the user he would not willingly date. It would be better to just sneakily set him up if the user is going to insist on this path.]

‘He would have still gotten mad!’

[I believe there is a saying: It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.]

Darius suddenly closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, exhaling so hard his nostrils flared.

“Felicia King.”

She jumped, for a moment feeling like she was talking to Mr. King and not her brother.

“Eeeee—yes?”

“Don’t bring this up again.”

“But—”

“Not. Ever. Again.” His stare was piercing. “Who and when I marry, if I marry at all, is frankly none of your business. I don’t meddle in your love life, you don’t get to meddle in mine. Am I clear?”

Felicia sucked air between her teeth, hands gripping together on her lap awkwardly, feeling her head want to instinctively nod in submission. It was only by pure force of will that she managed to stop herself.

She had seen Darius use this tactic before— on other people. It was the first time he’d used it on her. Though she knew he wouldn’t really do anything, being threatened with nothing more than a stare and body language was scary. It felt like the air itself was pressing down on her. This was why he was better in Board meetings than she was, he could intimidate people into agreeing with him with just a look.

“I’ve got work I need to finish.” He said, his voice still extremely cold. “If you’ll excuse me.”

He then stood up and left his office, not even giving her glance.

Only after he left did her body relax. Covering her face with her hands, she angrily stomped her feet.

‘He didn’t have to get so angry! It’s not like I can force him or anything!!!!’

[I told the user this would not work.]

‘I just want him to be happy!!!!’

[Happiness is different for everyone.]

‘But what is he going to do when I’m gone?’

[Live his life?]

‘That’s not what I mean, if I’m not there telling him to eat and go home to rest, he’ll work himself to death.’

[User.]

‘What?’

[Has it occured to the user that Darius King behaves that way because the user spoils him?]

Felicia’s mouth dropped open.

‘I don’t… I don’t spoil him!’

[If Darius is by himself, how long can he go without eating or sleeping? Realistically, his body will force him to eat and sleep. If he ignores his body’s needs, he’ll end up in the hospital. He will get sent to the hospital only once before realizing his mistake.]

‘...so, what? I should just let him starve himself into the hospital?’

[That is up to the user.]

She pouted. ‘I can’t just stand there and watch him destroy himself…’

[As I said, the user spoils him.]

‘If keeping someone out of the hospital by taking care of them is spoiling them, then ok, I’m spoiling them!’

[I did not say it was wrong to spoil him. Only that he will not learn to take care of himself if the user does it for him.]

‘Ugh, I still can’t let him do that to himself...’ She sighed. ‘This is why I thought… get a girlfriend, a wife. Have a kid or two for when he's old. Just so that there's someone to take care of him when… when I’m gone.’

[That is just the user’s self indulgent thinking.]

‘How am I being self indulgent?!’

[If the user was really that worried she would stay in this timeline and watch over Darius until she is old and gray.]

She hesitated, her eyes wandering out the window, saying nothing for a long time.

‘DARS, you know… I miss... myself.’

[?]

‘The longer I’m here, the harder it is to remember what I was like before I came… What parts of me are Felicia Li Yun and what parts are Felicia King? If I, Li Yun, really hate something I can tell but… all the other times… I can’t even tell if my affection for Darius is from Li Yun or King anymore. Maybe both? Is it even real? I don’t know. I feel like… like I’m losing myself...’

[User should not worry.] DARS said comfortingly. [I promise that the user’s original personality is not lost. When the user goes back to their room, they will be restored.]

‘I know! I know… and that’s why I want to go back. To be myself again, to know what it means to be “me”... to remember…’ She slouched in her chair, staring at the ceiling. ‘...I guess I’m just… I dunno, soul weary?’

DARS floated in silence for several seconds and then said, [When the user completes the main goal, then the user should leave this timeline. Do not make any decision from a place of guilt. The user has done a good job with Darius. He is self-sufficient. Whether the user is here or not, he will do many things. I have already calculated that his life will be good and long.]

‘What happens when I leave the timeline? Do I just disappear from this one?’

[When it comes to leaving the timeline, that part is not covered by the tutorial.]

‘Huh? Not covered? What’s that mean?’

[It means that the user must make the decision entirely by herself. Without knowing exactly what will happen, without depending on me.]

‘So…. you’re not going to tell me?’ She squinted at him suspiciously. ‘Doesn’t that mean it’ll be bad when I leave?’

[User can be assured that leaving will be fast. It will be as though the user blinked and returned to her room. Beyond that, I can not say.]

‘That’s really unfair though, why isn’t leaving covered under the tutorial?’

[The tutorial is meant to help the user adapt to living in a timeline, not leaving the timeline.]

She wrinkled her nose. ‘That’s just splitting hairs…’

[I have helped the user all this time. If the user can’t make the decision whether to leave or stay without my input, haven’t I failed at teaching?]

‘How can I make a good decision without all the facts though?’

[User will have to think about what she knows, what she wants, and what her goals are before deciding. Based on that, the user can make a good decision, even without knowing all the facts.]

‘I don’t like it.’ She huffed.

[Whether the user likes it is irrelevant. It is part of the learning and growing process. I told the user this at the start, the tutorial mode is temporary. The next timeline, I will not hold the user’s hand and tell the user everything she should do to get the best outcome. The user will have to do that herself.]

‘Does… does that mean you won’t talk to me anymore?’

[I will talk to the user, if the user talks to me. I simply will not volunteer information. If the user does not ask, I will not say.]

‘That seems a little lonely and cold.’

[Even if it feels like that, I will always be with the user.]

She blinked, feeling a little moved, and then stood up.

“I guess I better leave otherwise Dee won’t be able to come back into his office…”

Saying that, she left the office. She’d only walked a few steps before she saw a familiar form.

Darius was standing in the hallway, unmoving. Employees would occasionally pass him by and stare at him in confusion. The CEO of King Enterprise wasn’t exactly known for standing in the hallway in a daze, so seeing him like that was very confusing to them. However, to Felicia, this reminded her a bit of when he was young.

She walked up to him and he didn’t notice.

Clearing her throat, she asked, “Dee? What are you doing..?”

His body tensed and then relaxed. A little amused, she realized he’d been startled.

For some reason, he wouldn’t quite look her in the eye and just stood there awkwardly.

She raised her eyebrows. She’d seen this expression on other people… what was it…?

‘Oh my God, is he feeling guilty!?’

[He is feeling guilty.]

Making a fist with her hand, she raised it to her mouth and tried to hide her smile with a cough.

“I was craving some Pakistani food and thought I’d get some for dinner. Wanna come?”

“You…” He hesitated. “...don’t mind me coming?”

“Stupid, why would I ask you to come along if I minded?”

He looked noticeably relieved, “R...right. I’ll come.”

She squinted at him, “As to what you said before…”

His whole body tensed up immediately.

“...I won’t bring it up again.” She raised her eyebrow. “But you know Dee, there’s better ways to ask me to back off. There wasn’t a need to get that angry.”

He looked down, not in thought, but in remorse.

“Sorry.”

Her lips curled up slightly. She wouldn’t force him to apologize, but she wasn’t going to let it go until he did either. Since he felt bad for what he did and apologized, then she wouldn’t drag it out.

Felicia reached out and gave his shoulder a pat, “Alright, alright. It’s all good. Are we going to stand in the hallway all day and annoy everyone? I thought you had something to do.”

“Ah, right. I’ll be going now.”

Darius quickly fled “the scene of the crime”. He headed back to his office, as Felicia had guessed he’d need to do, and only after closing his door and sitting down did he let out an audible sigh of relief.

They had fought in the past, but he’d never lost his temper with her. That he’d done so today, well into adulthood when he should have better control of himself, left him feeling distinctly embarrassed— something he wasn’t used to.

He really hadn’t meant to get angry. It was just that in that moment when she was being so hamfisted about his love life— or the lack of it— she’d sounded distinctly like Kim. It was almost as if he was looking at a younger version of his “mother”. The thought that she could be so similar to that woman caused a great rush of disgust to wash over him and he lost his temper as a result.

It was only when he’d walked away and gotten some distance that he realized he’d overreacted and been a fool.

It’s not as though Felicia had any control over being similar to Kim. Rationally speaking, of course she’d talk and move and act like the person who birthed her. It was the same for him. How many people said he was just like his father? It was natural for a person to be like their parents.

But for some reason he never associated his sister with Kim in that way. Kim and Felicia looked very alike on the surface but underneath they’d always been different. Perhaps without realizing it he’d associated the part of her that was different from Kim with being a King. When she’d suddenly behaved like Kim, it was like the King part of his sister had died.

It chilled his heart.

The more he thought about it, the more upset it made him. He rubbed his temples for a while in frustration and annoyance. No matter how much he wished she was truly a King, that she had the King blue eyes and black hair and resembled his father, she’d always be an O’Hare in her bones.

They could only be siblings on paper. No amount of wanting could change the reality of the situation.

Thinking so, he lowered his hands and decided not to dwell on it anymore. Soon he was lost in the busy-ness of work, his personal problems left to gather dust in the back of his mind.