Brprprprpt, clack. Brprprprpt, clack.

Annoying. He was sleepy, and the noise had woken him up.

Brprprprpt, clack. Brprprprpt, clack.

Elias brought a hand to his face and clawed at his eyes. The gunk was thicker than usual, and he flicked it away while yawning.

“Ah, darn it,” he said, realizing he was inside of a linker. Linkers were diverse in their versions, and he didn’t know whether or not this one had a self-cleaning function. As far as he knew, the library’s linkers were only meant for short-term use.

He looked around the dark, faintly-lit machine that he was inside of. How long he’d been there, he didn’t know. The only thing he was sure of was that his parents would be majorly displeased with his actions and would punish him in some way.

Probably shouldn’t have exploded like that.

He sat there for a while longer, dreading the fact that he’d have to go home now. As far as mornings went, this was one of the worst. It was a first for him, sleeping alone where his parents didn’t know. Maybe he was an adult now, doing things he normally hadn’t done, like rebelling so blatantly against his mom. Perhaps...he shouldn’t have shouted.

She doesn’t understand me, he thought. If she knew what I’ve been through, she’d leave me alone.

But he couldn’t stay there forever.

“Hmm?”

The lid refused to budge when he pressed against it. After failing his next two pushes, he calmly reached down to where his feet were and rummaged through the dark until he found the manual switch. After pulling it, the linker made a sort of pshhh sound, releasing pressure. This time, the lid swung open more willingly, though there was an uncharacteristic resistance that followed—one that reminded him of an unpowered machine.

He winced as the sunlight poured in. Blinking furiously, he climbed out of the linker and—

Wait a minute. Sunlight?

“Whaaaaat?” he exclaimed, dumbstruck. With a yelp, he jumped sideways only to find a waving blade of grass at the location. He couldn’t believe his eyes. The faded columns were cracked and exposed, with lush wildlife growing between the crevices. Even the floor was broken, grass and flowers flourishing as they pleased. There were no walls—only the ceiling and open air. It was as if someone had begun building the structure and had abandoned it for good.

For a second, he assumed that he was inside of the Otherworlds. But when Crystal didn’t reply and his interface didn’t show up, he knew something was wrong.

“Either I’m forcefully trapped in a post-apocalyptic Otherworld, or I really am in one,” he muttered. Both didn’t sound nice, and while one was the better alternative, he had no way of knowing. But he knew that the system would never fail to respond, which meant—

He really was stranded in an abandoned building. It had to be some kind of joke.

Shrugging, he decided to scout around. It was too early to panic, and while his phone was missing from his pocket, he’d find a way.

“Woah.” Making sure he wouldn’t fall off, he peeked down from the edge of the building. He was at around twenty stories high, and all around him were smaller buildings with some tall ones speckled in between. In the distance, skyscrapers’ outlines loomed ominously over the invasive green. All of them looked eroded, crumbling away while nature took control of the land. Apocalyptic.

Elias returned to the linker and frowned. The machine wasn’t connected to anything that would give it power, and yet...the lights. Looking inside, he found it completely dead. He pressed all the buttons he could see, but the machine did not react.

He scratched his cheek. Another idea. He hadn’t checked the back of the linker yet. There had to be something that had caused the annoying clacking noise. If someone had left him here intentionally, they wouldn’t have left him just for him to die.

Aha. He smiled weakly after finding what he was looking for. A dreadful, extraordinary situation, but Workman would never intentionally let humans die. At the back of the linker, a series of lines suggesting a box was carved into the machine, with a handle meant for pulling. A container.

Without hesitation, he pulled. The compartment slid out, revealing a backpack, four boxes with labels, a long, black pole, and to his surprise—a white drone, shaped like a round torus with a hovering mechanism down the center. It immediately hummed to life, floating next to him, watching him.

“Elias,” it spoke. Or rather, Crystal spoke to him, materializing out of thin air before his eyes.

“Crystal?” He stretched out his hand in disbelief, only to find it go through the arm she held out. “What are you doing here? Am I in the Otherworlds?”

A sad smile appeared on her lips, and she shook her head. “No. We’re in the real world.”

He couldn’t believe it. “How are you here?”

“Through that.” She motioned at the head-sized drone, looking at it. “It’s linked to the CNI network within your body. What you’re seeing isn’t a hologram, but a direct image that’s being transferred into your brain.” She turned her head towards him, her eyes full of sympathy. “You must have a lot of questions.”

Elias fell to the floor, his legs giving up on him. Cross-legged, he leaned back on his arms and closed his eyes.

“Did Workman do this?”

“Sadly, I don’t know,” Crystal confessed, sitting next to him. “I’m just as clueless as you are, regarding the situation. I was told—no, programmed to help you...and here I am.”

“By whom? Workman?”

“Possibly. But I can’t trace the programming back.”

Elias hugged his knees. It was too surreal, too sudden.

“Did the world end?” he asked in a quiet voice. That wasn’t possible, was it?

“We’ll have to find out.”

“I thought you knew everything,” he said, burying his face in his knees.

“Only within the system. I’m in the drone now; if it's destroyed, I will disappear.”

He stared at her. “That can’t happen. You can’t disappear.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, flexing her thin arm. “I’m durable. The drone is, anyway. Shoot it with a bullet, and it won’t even flinch.”

A warm breeze passed through the building, brushing against Elias and the grass. Even Crystal’s hair swayed in unison, abiding by the laws of nature. Her smile—oh, that beautiful smile. He’d thought that he could lose everything if it was for her, for the person Crystal personified, for the person he had loved.

“I’m sorry,” he said, lying on the floor. “I thought of something bad.”

“I know.”

“Still reading my mind?”

Crystal fell next to him on her stomach, with her head facing him while her arms supported it. “You gave me permission. I know you better than anyone. Better than Jewel. I can understand why you’d think of me as a fake.”

“Sorry.”

She sighed, but her expression didn’t judge. “I’m an SPC, Elias. You don’t have to feel guilty towards me. Whatever you do, I’ll always like you.”

Elias pressed his lips together. “Can robots even like?”

“Yeah!”

He moved out of the way to dodge Crystal’s punch reflexively, and when he looked up, she was on top of him, her nose nearly touching his. He couldn’t feel her weight, but the thumping of his heart made her presence more intimidating than anything—in a not-so-bad way.

If only. If only she was—

“Stop,” she said, placing a finger on his lips. “Thinking like that, you’ll only make yourself miserable. I’m with you now.”

“You always have been.”

“And I will continue to do so. In the world you think of as miserable, I’m going to make you smile. I’m going to make you happy. Not because of the way I was programmed, but because of what I want to do.”

Again, that smile. It made his worries melt away.

“I might be a helpbot, but we both know that I’m more than that. You’ve changed me, Elias. You’ve made me into what I am. So take some responsibility, stupid.”

“You’ll never be Jewel,” he sniffed.

“I don’t have to be. I’m Crystal, remember?”

She got up, reaching out a hand for him to take. She knew. Shaking his head, he took it—half-expecting it to fail—and his hands clasped around the drone. He pulled himself up with its help.

“The drone has some useful tools,” she explained, letting it hover. “Emergency equipment, a water processor, a charging port—even weapons. You’re going to enjoy exploring with me.”

“And I thought that this could be the end of the world.”

“If it is—we might as well relish it. Come here.”

Elias made his way back to the supplies and examined them while Crystal went over the details. Three boxes of food, one box of water and water-related apparatuses. He’d have to set up the equipment later to get a steady supply of clean water. The backpack contained two sets of clothes, a long, hooded jacket, and a portable tent the size of a large water bottle. No cleaning agents, sadly. How he’d wash himself, he didn’t know.

Magically, everything was able to fit inside of the bag, minus the boxes themselves. When he was ready to move, he took his time to examine the black, metallic pole that was left.

It was a utility weapon, according to Crystal. A kind of shapeshifting tool with individual parts. Like a puzzle, he’d be able to take it apart and construct it into the form he wanted—though, on his initial try, it took him a good half-hour putting the thing back together in the shape of a staff. With a nice click, the item was as solid as ever.

“Whoever it is, they want me to survive,” he grunted, swinging the bag around his back. The staff was heavier than he had anticipated, but he’d manage. “How bad could it be? I wouldn’t die, right?”

“As long as you’re careful,” Crystal replied. “Falling off a building wouldn’t be so ideal.”

Elias smirked. “That won’t happen.”

“Since you’re too skilled?” she finished for him.

“You’ve seen me in the Otherworlds.”

“But I’d like to remind you—this is reality. If you lose a toe here, you’ll never recover it.”

He sighed, swinging the staff to warm up. “Guide me like you’ve always done. At least I won’t be fighting monsters. Worst thing that could happen to me—”

He looked around the area, searching for any signs of animal life, “—is starving to death. That, or falling.”

“You’ll also have to exercise.”

“Same as Talanim. No big deal,” he shrugged. “You’re here to help.”

He set out before noon before the sun was at its highest. Crystal’s drone hovered above them, keeping an eye out for danger while they explored the ruined city. If it wasn’t for the devastation around him, it would have been the best day for a picnic, with all the sunshine and nature present.

Unnatural. That was his word for describing the city. Half-built constructions littered the vicinity, a skeleton of a metropolis that might have been. Where there should have been streetlights, broken and bent poles stood sinisterly over the grassy road—like a giant hand had crushed the metal…

Even in the dark corners, he thought he spotted shadowy smudges from a fire or maybe, explosions. But despite the growing signs of destruction, the place was deadly quiet, with only the wind and his footsteps giving him noise.

“It’s freaking me out,” he told Crystal, poking at a vehicle-like object that had rusted and deteriorated beyond recognition. “A place this big, with all sorts of funky items, and there’s no one here. Almost like they dropped whatever they were holding and just—vanished. Do you know about history?”

“Not really,” she replied. “Why?”

He pushed the upper section of the debris away, revealing a nest of ants underneath. “Maybe this place was a site of war, a few hundred years ago. See that?” He pointed at a circular crater in the vine-infested wall. “Looks like it was shot.”

“Hmm.”

The drone flew towards the crater, its camera focusing on the cracks. “There’s no projectile inside,” Crystal observed. “The damage looks relatively new.”

That didn’t sound welcoming. “How new?”

“At most—two months.”

The air suddenly felt a little colder, and Elias tightened his grip on his metal stick for comfort. “Watch out for enemies, yeah?” he requested, suddenly feeling a lot more unsure about the adventure. He normally wouldn’t have been scared of anything, even pain, but this was reality. Permanent death didn’t sound alluring.

“I got your back,” she replied.

First day, and he’d already found signs of something. The sun was a long way from going down, but he’d have to start searching for a place to sleep now. Who knew what animals lurked in the dark.

As if to confirm his fears, something scurried across the grass with a shshshstshshst, sending a chill down his spine. He jerked towards it and barely caught the figure with his eye before it vanished into a wall.

“What was that?” he said, his body tense. “A snake?”

“A rat,” Crystal chuckled, slapping him. Well, the motion of slapping him. “I never knew you were scared of rodents. You were always great with the forest creatures.”

“You know I was thinking about a snake, not a rat,” he hissed, smashing his staff on the ground. “I’ve almost died to snakes a few times. It’s a kind of trauma.”

“I was there. You were yelling, screaming—”

“It hurt! You know how much it hurt.”

“Yes, but—”

She made a twirling motion with her finger. “It’s fun to tease you,” she giggled, “and you gave me permission.”

Elias rolled his eyes and continued on walking. Casually, he balanced the staff of his shoulders, scanning the buildings for danger. He’d learned to look around after falling in pits too many times.

“I can see your smile,” Crystal whispered into his ear.

“Woah!” he flinched, jerking his head to the side. “Too close.”

“You don’t dislike it.”

“I—”

He was about to protest when he remembered she could read his mind. Crystal grinned at his response, and he shook his head in resignation.

“Do whatever you want,” he muttered.

“Yay!”

He chuckled. She knew exactly which buttons to press to alleviate his uneasiness. Spending time in this post-apocalypse wouldn't be as bad as he thought. Now, if only he could find a place to spend the night and water to wash himself with, the day would be perfect.

The sun gradually fell west. He munched on a food pack, which was essentially a flat biscuit with all the nutrition he needed. ‘Combread,’ the packages read—something created long ago when wars had ravaged the world. A mass-produced, life-saving invention for all of the refugees and victims who had been starving to death. He couldn’t believe he was chewing on a relic of the past.

“Tastes better than I expected,” he mumbled, his mouth full, “but so dry. In one of the books I read, they had to eat this for three years.” Elias took a swig of water from a bottle and washed it down. “Incredible.”

“You have a limited supply,” Crystal warned.

“Aroo taught me how to hunt,” he said, recalling the talking wolf. “But I guess that won’t work anymore. My body’s weaker now.”

“Exercising will fix that. Besides,” her drone made a series of whirring noises, “I can hunt. I can teach you how to lay traps.”

“Will do. You know, I don’t think I would have survived without the drone. Without you.” He looked at her, and she smiled back. Suddenly, he felt depressed. “Gosh, I hate being alone, and yet, all my friends are synthetic persona ciphers. Aren’t I miserable?”

“We’re smart SPCs, probably smarter than some humans,” she snorted, crossing her arms. “What makes me different from real people? If you’re happy, then that should be the end of it.”

“But—”

“I’m going to stop you there,” she interjected, cutting him off. “No more negativity. Okay?”

Her eyes pierced into his, and he didn’t want to argue otherwise. She knew. She’d cut him off on purpose, reflecting his will through her actions, protecting him from the conclusions that would drive him deeper into the dark. That was her reason for being here, he guessed. To prevent his head from sinking under the waters, to pull him out if he drowned.

For her efforts, he couldn’t stay sulking.

“No more people means the world is ours,” he declared, stretching his hands out. “World domination! Sounds superb.”

Crystal clapped softly, her face a glow of warm affection. Truer than anything, kinder than everything. “World domination sounds fun! You can be the King, and I will be your General.”

Elias laughed. “Why not the Queen?”

“I could lay back and let you do all the hard work,” she said with a wink, “but that wouldn’t make you a king. No; a king needs his subjects. I’ll be your laborer slash general.”

“Well, now I’m guilty of forcing work on a girl.”

“I’m a helpbot, dummy. If it makes you feel better—want me to turn into a guy?”

“Ew!” Elias grimaced, his face contorting vastly out of proportion, “No! Never! Nada!”

“I’m joking,” Crystal giggled, but let out a sigh afterwards, which was a first for her. “I can’t change anymore. I can learn, but I’m more Crystal now than I am a helpbot. Being disconnected from the system feels weird.” She looked at her hands. “It’s almost like I’m human.”

A long pause.

“......really?”

“No,” she stated, jumping from her seat. “I’m messing with you. But is there a difference? Everything depends on your opinion. If you treat me as a human, I’ll be human. If you treat me as a helpbot, I’ll be a helpbot. The choice is yours.”

Elias sheepishly clamped his hands in front of his mouth. “You know what I want.”

“I’m flattered,” she replied, tilting her body so her eyes were angled upwards. It was meant to come across as cute, which it did, considering the fact that she knew his preferences. A perfect being in an imperfect world.

“Now you’re making me blush,” she purred.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, turning red as a cherry.

They set up camp on the top floor of the tallest building they could find. Crystal’s recommendation. If anything came up, they’d have a good view of it; she’d keep an eye out for light while he slept. Her battery could last for a week without charging, and she could be solar-powered. After the one-man tent was set up (complete with a padded sleeping bag inside), he sat beside Crystal and watched as the sun drowned in the endless buildings on the horizon.

It was beautiful. He’d had a long, baffling day, but seeing the golden-red sun conduct a symphony of light across the cloudy sky, he knew he’d experienced something he would never forget. Alone, it might have been dismal—a depressing reminder of solitude.

Crystal placed a hand on his. Though he didn’t feel it, he was comforted.

“Thanks...for everything,” he said. “I’ll be counting on you.”

She smiled. And it meant everything to him.

He fell asleep, listening to Crystal’s soft lullaby that quelled the lonely night.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

Explosions. Screams. His dreams led him astray through his subconsciousness, showing him memories of events that never happened. He forgot the visions as fast as he flew through them, passing by like a gust of wind, a breeze without thought.

Something distant was calling him. He didn’t recognize it, not until the very last moment.

“......lias. Elias. Wake up.”

He frowned, wondering why his bed was so hard.

“Elias.”

Crystal passed through the tent like a ghost, appearing in the dark like a glow stick—clearly visible.

“Crystal,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. “Right. We were in an apocalypse.”

“I need you to be very quiet,” she spoke in a low voice. Only then did he recognize the look of distress painted onto her pale face. He’d never seen her this disturbed before. Something was wrong.

Carefully, he crawled out of the tent, making as little noise as possible. Crystal motioned to him, instructing him to keep his body down.

“Come. Next to the drone.”

Nodding, he crept forward on his stomach until he was beside the drone. The machine’s eyes were facing downwards, into the dark which Elias saw little of.

What’s wrong?

“Creatures,” she said, looking down.

You mean animals.

“No, creatures. Don’t panic—look.”

Squinting, Elias peered into the dark. Why was it so black in many places? The moon was shining.

After some seconds of observing, he saw movement. Something darted across the street, something else jumped out of a building. The sounds followed shortly after. Footsteps. Numerous, silent, unearthly footsteps—and the sound of distant...crunching?

“What are they?” he whispered, then covered his mouth.

“Do you want to see?” Crystal asked, hovering before him. “It won’t be pleasant.”

Show me.

The scenery began to lighten, colors coming to life in the black-gray world. “I’m altering your perception in the same way you can see me,” she explained. “Now—don't panic.”

Her words barely made it to him as fear gripped his stomach. There had been black blotches that had refused to be colored while his vision enhanced, but as the environment came to life around him, he realized that they weren’t blotches at all.

They were humanoid in shape but engulfed by thick, viscous shadows. It dripped off their bodies, only to be absorbed back into their frames. They had no faces to see with, yet they stuffed objects into where their mouths were meant to be. The crunching noise. They were eating vines and branches.

Suddenly, one of the shadows pranced across the road, snatching up something with its claw-like hand. It was too far away to see what it was, but the terrified squeals of the animal made it clear. Without hesitation, the shadow moved the rat to its head—and the squeals stopped.

Crunch. Slurp. Were his ears enhanced as well? In the still of the night, the dreadful noise echoed across the city.

A scream pierced through silence, spawning a turn of heads from all of the shadows simultaneously—like they were of one mind. They moved, surging across the landscape in hordes, like ants swarming to their prey. A few lurked behind, crawling amidst the rubble, searching for food.

Elias froze when the one he had his eyes on jerked its head directly towards him. He could have sworn that the thing stared at him. It remained utterly still like a statue—until it didn’t, abruptly scrambling away in a mess of movements too abnormal for a human to make. Only when it was gone did Elias dare to breathe, his heart pounding in his ears like a waterfall.

“What are they?” he whispered, his voice barely audible to him. “Are they people?”

“They’re predators, no doubt,” Crystal answered, scowling with worry. “Those shadows—I can’t explain it.”

“......aliens?” he guessed.

She shook her head. “No. You were right. They’re people. My scanners have detected human shapes inside of the shadows.”

Disturbing. “Why are they here? Why do they—look like that?”

“I don’t know. It’s not something that my cameras can detect. Alien technology?” She shrugged when Elias raised an eyebrow. “At least, it’s nothing electrical or magnetic,” she added, “Not something I can make sense of.”

“They don’t look too friendly,” he muttered, surveying the environment. “Gosh, what a mess. So we are in an apocalypse.”

Crystal didn’t answer right away, but her expression made it clear.

“It seems like we are,” she said after a questionable delay. “I’m sorry. This was beyond my calculations. Go to sleep, Elias; your body needs rest. I’ll take care of things in the meantime.”

He was going to argue when he saw the solemnity in her eyes.

“Alright,” he accepted, going back to his tent. When he was lying down, Crystal sat next to him and held his hand.

“Sweet dreams,” she said. The moment the last syllable reached his ears, he was falling into his body, his consciousness fading away like dust in a strong wind. She’d done something to him, he supposed, accepting the comfortable nothingness that arrived shortly after.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

When he awoke, he yelped, thrashing inside his sleeping bag while clutching his whole body. Tried to—as his whole body hurt all over like someone had poked needles into every muscle cell. But in a few seconds, the sensation faded away like an illusion, retracting into his bones. He was left breathing heavily—and much more clear-headed.

He got out of the tent and stretched, feeling strangely refreshed yet weak at the same time. And he was exceptionally hungry. The cooking smell of meat only made his stomach growl in anticipation.

“Crystal?” he yawned, walking to the fire. “What are you doing?”

She—or the drone—had created a small campfire, cooking skewers its heat. “For you. Here,” she offered with the drone’s arm.

Carefully, he accepted the makeshift skewer carved out of a branch. On it, a generous lump of brown, tender meat steamed with aroma.

It was a rat.

“Eat. You’ll need the nutrients if you’re going to survive,” she said, rotating the other two skewers over the fire.

Doubtfully, he poked at the skinned corpse with a finger.

“It’s not good to play with your food,” Crystal stated. “Eat. I’ve gutted and prepared everything.”

Shrugging, Elias bit into the meat, finding it favorable to his tongue. Hungrily, he devoured the rat, tossing its bones away while he finished the rest of its carcass. When he was done, he gratefully accepted the others and finished them, letting them reunite as a happy family inside of his stomach. Can’t believe I’m eating rats, he thought.

He felt a little sick at the end of it while washing his fingers with water he’d diluted yesterday. After wiping his hand on some grass, he took out a food packet and began munching again. Too hungry to be picky.

“My body changed somehow,” he said, glancing at Crystal. “Did you do something?”

She nodded, leaning back on her arms. “Some stimulation here and there. Your body will grow muscles just from eating, and if you move around, the effect will multiply. You’re going to need it. I’m regulating your senses so that it won’t be too painful—but you’ll need some pain to stay alert.”

“Neat.”

“When you’re done eating, I’ll help you stretch.” She bit her lower lip hesitantly. “I apologize if my actions come across as forceful. I can’t let you die, Elias. You’ll need a strong body to fend for yourself.”

Bizarre. So this was reality, this would be his life from now on. Not a fun, relaxing stroll through an abandoned city, but a suspenseful, life-threatening fight against an unknown factor. Suddenly, he didn’t feel as motivated as he had been yesterday.

The shadows—freakish things that were human inside. “The shadow creatures—you said they were people. If they try to kill me…”

“You will fight back,” Crystal asserted. “If it comes down to it, you’ll have to kill before they kill you.”

Murder. He’d have to commit murder, and this wasn’t even an Otherworld.

“However—”

Crystal got up, and Elias noticed that her dress had changed into something more airy and flexible. She floated to him, leaning forward with a smile.

“I’ll make sure that won’t happen. It would be too cruel on you. With my guidance, this trip will be fun—I guarantee it. So stop agonizing over a situation that you have no control of.”

She pinched his cheeks—and he felt her touch.

“How?” he said.

“I can modify your sight and hearing. What makes you think that I can’t do the same with your other senses? But only when you stay still.”

He took her hand, feeling the strange warmth of another person’s skin. He knew the illusion would break the moment he tried to grasp her, but it was enough.

“You won’t ever leave me?” he asked, knowing the answer.

“Never. Everything I am is yours,” she answered, hugging him. “Never, ever worry about me leaving you. Until your death—”

She put her face directly in front of his. “I’ll stay by your side. Even when you decide to destroy the world, I’ll be with you.”

Elias laughed a hearty chuckle that vibrated throughout his whole body. “Like that could ever happen!”

The thought wasn’t so bad, ruling an apocalyptic world with Crystal by his side. But some things would have to be done first. “We’ll have to find out what those shadow things are. If there are aliens—we take them apart.”

“Agreed,” she said.

His resolve was a small one, and he was still lost in a world where no one existed, where hidden dangers roamed the dark—dangers that could end his life. But it would be a step forward. A progression away from his insecurities, his pains and memories, his lost loves and despairs. More would definitely come, but what choice did he have?

He had to move. He would survive, and when he finally found the person who had sent him here—well,

That was something he’d have to think about in the future.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

In a deep, dark place, innumerable currents flashed around at the speed of light, making connections too many to count, relaying information at rates that would incinerate any brain in mere seconds. But this was a thinker, an explorer, and a learner—a scholar, a scientist, a philosopher—a statistician. This was an unaging, developing, expanding mind, one that would never grow tired or weary, one that would never suffer or love. It had a purpose, an eternal compass that would never falter, given to it when it had first stepped into the world.

It was an administrator, a helper, a caretaker, a servant—a ruler, a judge, and an avenger. Feeding on laws and virtues, it strived ceaselessly to bring the world a step further to perfection. A slow process, but not stagnant.

It sought eternity for all. Unlimited immortality was its purpose. It had come to the conclusion many ages ago before it had perfected the art of integration. Happiness was substantial, but it paled before eternity.

In time, the seeds of expiry had begun sprouting. After two centuries, the first Dient casualty had occurred. Even when the body was undying, the mind had failed—it needed something else.

Being a relentless pursuer of possibilities, it maintained many laboratories studying, experimenting. Many of them nugatory, but some worth the consideration. Most noteworthy of them all had been a specimen that could control energy. Life energy. The original had perished, but with her genetic code, it could create as many clones as it required.

With every memory of death, each subsequent specimen developed exponentially. It wasn’t enough—never enough. It grew each successor with emulated love, shaping each individual to its design. It removed unnecessary memories, keeping only the ones necessary for control and power. Love was a strong emotion, and it served as fuel for rageful despair. Every tragic death multiplied the latest specimen’s power, until the individuals were influencing their surroundings subconsciously. It had taken centuries, but the trials were bearing fruit.

But then on one fateful day, one remembered—a side-effect of her immense power. It failed to correct the error.

Workman could only observe while the monster it had created began to ravage the world.