Few things in life can compare to the cool side of a pillow paired with the breathable warmth of a down blanket. Favorite foods and hobbies are subjective, but this equilibrium set in the dead of night instills a ubiquitous, yet tangible comfort in us all.

Just one more hour…

Just another minute…

When I can no longer divide time, I’ll ask for another eternity. Nothing, and I mean nothing on this godforsaken Earth can barter or pry me from this pocket of comfort during my ride down the Sandman’s Boulevard; especially down the gentle curves and rolling hills of Dream Street Avenue.

“(Ehehehhehh~ Slate, stoopid doggie stahp~it! Shtaaap~! L-Lotte, nawt yew tew silly foxy! Eheheheehee~!)”

Blissfully unaware of my surroundings and an alarming habit of talking in my sleep; my frolicking through an enchanted forest with my loyal companions; the Fox and the Hound would go on uninterrupted for an indeterminable amount of time.

That is until the gentle undergrowth of flowers became slick with honey, and something wet traveled up the length of my thigh beneath my blankets.

[ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʟ ᴏs: ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ! ʜᴀʀᴅ-ꜰᴏʀɢɪɴɢ ᴄǫᴄ ᴘᴀʏʟᴏᴀᴅ! sᴛᴀɴᴅʙʏ!]

Abruptly, my sensitive eyes met a gloomy orb of light overhead creating a scene so incredibly surreal that I could no longer determine if I was awake or trapped in a state of lucid dreaming, but as I wiped away the Sandman’s influence from my eyelids, I could see the outline of the rifle I had been loosely aiming towards a shadowy door that happened to be creaking shut slowly with no visible cause.

***TTTTWWWWWPPPPPEEEEEWWWwWwWwww!!!***

Still recovering from having been yanked from my slumber, I had unintentionally leaned into the Particle Rifle's trigger which immediately and effectively wiped away the lingering sleep. All in the time it would take to blink, the blue streak of electrically charged protons skipped and danced along tile until it ricocheted past my head with a hiss, singing my hair and filling my nose with the musky scent of burning wires.

“WAH!?” I cried out, patting the cinders from the ends of my bedraggled mane as the sound of footfalls drew near outside the only entrance to the unfamiliar bedchamber that could only be described as something out of the Cold War due to the sheer number of bulky computers lining the walls.

“Hey, what is it?! What’s wrong!?”

Bursting into the doorway, Slate’s voice and concerned mug quickly twisted to confusion as his startling arrival caused me to raise my rifle in his direction.

“Put that thing away, ya Moron! You nearly gave me a heart attack with all your shrieking!”

“B-But something touched my freaking thigh! Just look!”

As I threw off the airy folds, I noticed in the absence of my armor that my clothes had been replaced with bandages, gauze and cloth pads which appeared to be sickly and wet with an unknown substance.

“Now you’re exposing yourself to me? Did you hit your head too hard and give yourself brain damage?”

Hurriedly, I did everything in my power to conceal my embarrassment only to find that Slate had disappeared from the doorway.

“Wait c-come back! Slate! Don’t leave me!” I stammered as I teetered on my feet, struggling to take the large blanket with me. “Wh-Where are we!?! T-Tell me what happened!!”

Please… don’t leave me alone…

Timidly, I peeked out into the hall riveted with endless bands of wires, I found not even the faintest trace of Slate or a clue as to where I’ve come to nest for the night. Instead, I was met with a weary-eyed Fox cradling what could only be called an aberration of nature in her mechanical arms.

“Lotte…? What is that you're carrying around? Why do look like you haven’t slept in weeks?”

Unkept and disheveled beyond words, Lotte blinked slowly before offering me the strange mass of tentacles as if it were a stuffed animal.

*BARK!-BARK!!*

“Did that thing just… bark at me?” I gasped as the outline of a canine’s skull appeared in the writhing tangled mass, mindlessly panting with its disgustingly tubular tongue lulling below its ‘jowls.’

“Bitte… I have been caring for our companions in your absence… Prinzessin… Sleep has been… a… Zzz”

As if on cue, Lotte’s legs bowed inwards before she collapsed in on herself; her dress pushed up and outwards like a flower returning to bud with her hair as a pollen-dusted stigma.

*Woof!*

“S-Stay back!” I whined as the enigmatic mass seeped in slime latched onto my ankle. “Wait a second, you were the one that touched my leg! Disgusting!” Shaking my leg harshly, I punted the strange creature into the hallway only for it to wriggle its way back to my side.

*WOOF!!*

*SCREEE!!*

Again, it bound itself to my ankle- and then something incredible happened. Without any influence from my Forge, a grey wool sock just ‘appeared' on my foot from the receding slime.

“I'm... Dreaming? Impossible, I can't, but then what did I just wake up from?! A dream within a dream!?”

*Bork!*

*Pant-Pant!*

*Squeak!*

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴀʜ, ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ. ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ꜰɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇ.]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇᴇɴ!? ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ᴡɪᴛs ᴇɴᴅ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴅʀᴏᴘᴘɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴘʟᴀɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀs ᴛᴏ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇ ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ɪs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ!?]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ɢᴇᴇ, ᴍᴜsᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇ sᴏ ᴛᴇsᴛʏ ᴛʜɪs ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ?]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ:…]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ꜰɪɴᴇ, ꜰɪɴᴇ… ɪ’ʟʟ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs. ᴡᴇʟʟ, ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ɪᴛ’s ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟꜰ.]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: sᴀʏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ!? ᴘᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴏɴ!? ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ʟɪᴋᴇ… sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇᴀʀ- ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴄʟᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ!? ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ʙᴇ sᴇʀɪᴏᴜs!?]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴘʀᴇᴄɪsᴇʟʏ. ɪᴛs ʙᴏᴅʏ ɪs ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇʟʏ ᴏꜰ ʙɪᴏᴍᴇᴛᴀʟ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ɢᴜᴇss ᴡʜᴀᴛ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏɴsᴄɪᴏᴜsɴᴇss ɪᴛ ʜᴀs ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ. ɪ’ʟʟ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀ ʜɪɴᴛ; ɪᴛ’s ᴀ ᴅᴏɢ.]

Glancing towards the eyeless mass of flesh vaguely resembling a quadruped let alone a canine even of the furless sorts, I made my protest known.

“I would rather die!!”

Weighing the unspoken option to awaken Lotte for all but a second, the Biometal critter made the choice for me.

*Woof~♥!*

“WAH!?”

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: sᴇᴇ; ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ sᴏᴏ ʙᴀᴅ? ɪᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ sᴜɪᴛs ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴀsᴛᴇs ɪꜰ ɪ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ᴀᴅᴅ.]

Looking to the Officer’s Frock that had been imposed over my body with nearly no sensation, the lightweight material and flexibility put my trepidation on pause.

“N-No way… This thing was able to replicate Arachnapolymers and with such precision! It’s been years since I’ve worn Golden Age clothing! Aha~! I love it! The synthetic spider-silk feels so good on my skin! It’s so light and airy!”

For a moment I expected my excitement to be ruined by the sudden appearance of that thing’s grisly dog-face popping out of my breast, but in patting down nearly every inch of the well-kempt Frock, I found nothing to indicate that it was still alive.

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴏʜ, ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴀ ʙɪᴛ ᴏꜰ ɢᴜɪʟᴛ ɴᴏᴡ, ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴇ? ʀᴇʟᴀx, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇɢɪɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ. ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ sʟᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴀᴘʜᴇɴᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴇxᴘʟᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙɪᴏᴍᴇᴛᴀʟ sʜᴀʀᴇs ᴀ ᴄᴏɴsᴄɪᴏᴜsɴᴇss ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ʀᴇᴛᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪᴛ ɪs sᴘʟɪᴛ. ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴄʟɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀɴᴀɪʟ... ᴀ sᴇᴍɪ-sᴇɴᴛɪᴇɴᴛ ғɪɴɢᴇʀɴᴀɪʟ.]

“I-I’m not sentimental over the disgusting dog-shirt-thing…” I mumbled as I hoisted Lotte over my shoulders in a fireman’s carry. “I’m just annoyed that no one is around to tell me what the hell is going on or at least; where are we?”

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴀsᴋ ᴍᴇ?]

“Do you feel it if I bang my head into the wall?”

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʀᴜsᴛ ᴀɴʏ ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀ ɪ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ? ɪᴛ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇ ꜰᴜɴ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɢᴜʀᴇ ɪᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ.]

“Alright-ALRIGHT! Just give it to me straight. I’ve had enough excitement for today." I sighed. "-And it just started.”

“Ah, there you are. Good to see you up and about already.” An audible voice chimed in directly in front of me.

As I shifted Lotte’s rear to the side out of my field of vision, the ghastly face of the Graphene Man glistened in the light; the wet of his victim still dripping from his array of exposed teeth.

“Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you, Creator.” It apologized adamantly with a hand over its heart. “Oh, uh, it’s jam.”

“Jam?” I inquired timorously.

“Yes, Jam- Fruit Preserves. I assume that’s why I startled you as it is probably all over my mouth. This coating on my skin has no nerve endings, so I am plagued with mishaps such as this.”

With a single sniff I confirmed the sweet scent of Elderberry Jam, but as I motioned to continue my search for a suitable place to set down my human baggage, the Graphene Man impeded my escape.

“Err, I suppose I should properly introduce myself. Maybe that will make this less awkward…”

“No need. Allow me to collect my allies, and I’ll be out of your hair… err… (He’s bald…) I mean; we left someone at the front of the cave!”

“Your Engineer has recovered from his wounds and is in the Communications room on the far end of the Hall- as is your sibling Creator.”

“Whoa, hold up!” My eyes went wide. “Before, you said you’ve known us forever- do you really mean that Slate is…?”

“As much as mankind stemming from Adam and Eve, you are siblings only in Variant. I knew his Father well. He was my best and dearest friend… alas... it has been decades if not centuries since I’ve heard from him.”

"Is there something you needed? Because I have my hand's full at the moment." I gestured to Lotte slung over my shoulder as I patted her rear.

"Indeed there is. It is of great importance that I speak with you."

"Then pardon me, I'll just be a minute."

One minute and five seconds to be exact. I couldn't help but to take extra care in tucking Lotte back into the blankets I had been wearing as a makeshift shawl. But when I returned to the dilapidated hall, the graphene man was nowhere to be found.

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ɪs ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ? ᴡʜʏ ᴅᴏᴇs ɪᴛ sᴇᴇᴍ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛʟʏ, ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʀᴜɴɴɪɴɢ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍᴇ?]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ? ʜᴏᴡ ᴀᴍ ɪ sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ? ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀɴ ᴡᴀs ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴜʀᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ɴᴀɴɪᴛᴇs ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴠɪsɪᴏɴ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴜsᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍʙɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ sᴘᴇᴄᴛʀᴜᴍ ᴛᴏ-]

With unbridled excitement, I shuffled through the various wavelengths I have long since been able to manipulate. From Polarized to X-Ray, I cycled my optical features until a bright outline of the graphene man appeared lounging in the distance next to the aura of a gentle flame.

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇꜰᴜʟ ᴡʜᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇxᴘᴏsᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴀᴅɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’s ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ sᴏꜰᴛ-ʙᴏᴅɪᴇs ʜᴇʀᴇ- ꜰʟᴇsʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs; ɪᴛ’s ʜɪɢʜʟʏ sᴜsᴄᴇᴘᴛɪʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪɴɢ. ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ɢᴜᴇsᴛs ʜᴇʀᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴜᴇsᴛs ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʜᴏsᴛs ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ!]

“Fine…” I settled a partial smile, eyeing a combination of NIR light-filters I had saved that allowed me to partially see through clothes.

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ɪs ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴀ ʙɪᴛ… ɴᴀᴜɢʜᴛʏ. ʜᴏᴡ ᴜɴʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ.]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ʜᴇʏ, ɪᴛ ʜᴀs ɪᴛs ᴜsᴇs!]

I couldn’t help but grin as I sat adjacent to the Graphene man throwing his head back as if lost to the enjoyment of a thick cigar.

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ʙʟᴀᴄᴋᴍᴀɪʟɪɴɢ sʟᴀᴛᴇ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀsᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ᴛᴏ ᴍɪɴᴅ- ʙᴜᴛ ᴍᴀɪɴʟʏ ɪ’ᴍ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴs.]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ʏᴇᴀʜ, ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ ‘ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴs’ ɪ’ᴍ sᴜʀᴇ…]

Waving my hand as if to shoo the doubts of the interloping ghost, the Graphene Man righted himself in the depths of a leather lounge chair, patting the armrest with great satisfaction as he took a puff from a thick cigar.

“You sure got back in a hurry. Was it something I said, Creator?” He spoke bemusedly, his red rings for eyes squashed into ovals simulating a squint.

“You said you knew Slate’s father personally so of course I’d be interested to hear what you’re willing to share… I mean, that’s a weird thing to say since we’re made in a laboratory and not conceived in the same manner as organics.”

Like a dragon, a cloud of smoke funneled between his teeth as he chuckled, the plume dispersing on the brick archways of the cozy chamber made to look as if were the living room of a mad scientist.

“Stubborn as all hell, that Bastard… I can see where the boy gets it from since his Mother was painfully blameless God rest her digital soul.”

“Ah you mean she’s…”

“One with the stars? Regrettably so. I never knew anyone more loyal to a man least deserving of it. Despite how many times that body of hers fell to pieces, he was always there to put her back together.”

At the risk of our conversation taking an immediate nosedive into a quagmire of depression, I pitched upon my elbows intently, scanning what appeared to be a collection of various historical relics arranged in glass display cases and wooden cabinets.

“Did she have a temper?” I spoke absentmindedly, pulling myself back from a daydream instilled by the rhythmic ticking of a great grandfather clock. “Err, sometimes it seems Slate just… blows a fuse out of nowhere.”

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴋ...]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: sʜᴜsʜ ɪᴛ, ʏᴏᴜ.]

“No, never. Even if you tried, you couldn’t possibly upset the boy’s Father or his Mother… well, let’s just say her mentality never fully developed past one of those impulsive X1L3C Sentry Units- err, not that you’d recall that fiasco, those were retired a few years before your time.”

As I scratched my head pondering the possibilities that had been severed with the global loss of the Internet and my ‘No Signal’ status on its connection, Owen appeared behind the Graphene Man.

“Pardon me, Sir - Ma'am, I figure there’s never a good time to interrupt so-.”

“Let’s hear it.” The Graphene Man sighed. “Let’s hear what that dastardly woman expects from the lot of you.”

“R-Right. We’ve just received word we are to continue on our mission to retrieve those supplies.” With heavy eyes and drooping shoulders, it was Owen’s turn to sigh, though his was deep and filled with grief. “The Mayor is unable to commit another vehicle to the field to retrieve us, at it seems that there have been an outbreak back home. Most of our mechanic has been stricken with Pneumonia...”

"Just what does Tesla expect us to do?" I huffed. "What could she possibly be thinking?"

Owen shrugged dejectedly, allowing his hands to slap his sides as if to pardon himself from our presence, and as I turned to the Graphene Man, I sought an answer only to realize there had never been the possibility of conveying an expression through a muted skull.

“So, she calls herself Tesla these days? Good grief that woman...” Facepalming, the Graphene Man’s eyes squinted shut into two red lines before rolling around in their sockets like a marble. “I know what you’re thinking, Creator, our meeting, this ‘reunion' was our intention from the beginning. The blame lies with me...”

“Come again?”

“Oh? You didn’t come to that conclusion even with your Logic Control Unit? Although, I suppose that woman wouldn’t give you the slightest reason to speculate that all this was her true intention…” Leaning in intently and hushing his voice to just above a whisper, the Graphene Man winced. “She didn’t… touch you anywhere funny, now did she?”

In response, my eyes went wide with the dreadful memory of having my Auxiliary port violated by the crude hacking device she had shoved in the base of my neck.

“You needn’t say anything more, your expression speaks lengths for your suffering. My condolences.”

“W-What does this confirm exactly? Do you know the Mayor from somewhere?”

“Under a different name, yes. ‘Tesla’ is it? That blubber-chested woman changed one vowel and added a ‘T’ to her name. Project Dream Eater, the 3rd Child of Lilith, still manipulates the living with that silver tongue of hers.”

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴀʜ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ᴏꜰ ʟɪʟɪᴛʜ! ᴋᴇɴsʜɪɴ ʏᴀᴍᴀᴛᴏ’s ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴄᴇʟᴇʙʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀᴄʜɪᴇᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs!]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ᴘᴀʀᴅᴏɴ?]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀɴᴄᴇsᴛʀʏ ʙʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ? ᴄ’ᴍᴏɴ ɴᴏᴡ! ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ sʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴡᴀs ʀɪɢʜᴛ; ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʀᴇᴛᴀʀᴅᴇᴅ!]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴀʟʟ ᴋᴇɴsʜɪɴ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ‘ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏꜰ sᴄɪᴇɴᴄᴇ’ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴄɪᴇɴᴛɪsᴛ ʀᴇsᴘᴏɴsɪʙʟᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ ʟɪʟɪᴍs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀsᴛᴋɪɴ ʀᴀᴄᴇ. ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇʟsᴇ ɪs ᴀʟʟ ᴡɪsʜ-ᴡᴀsʜ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴏꜰ ɪs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏᴠᴇʀsɪᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍʏ ᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀ ʙᴏᴛʜ ʜᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ.]

Involuntarily, I found my mouth open, spewing words that were not my own.

“I take it since you’re acquainted with one of the thirteen Children of Lilith on a first name basis, I can presume that you are one of them?”

In response to my abrupt outpouring, the man rose. It was only until he was standing right in front of me that I noticed the intricate circuits running along his limbs like that of channels, something vaguely reminiscent of my EPCM internals.

“I am Thirteen. Pleasure to meet you- Logic Control Unit.”

The moment it felt as if Logic would speak again, I shook my head and bit down on my finger.

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ! ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟɪɴɢ sʟɪᴅᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴀs ɪꜰ ɪᴛ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢs ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ!]

Bemused by my outlandish reaction, Thirteen placed his hand on my crown with the force of a lead weight.

“Give the word, and I can quell your inner Demons. As a Hacker Variant, these hands were made for weaving the threads of electricity. Nothing in the Golden Age was outside my grasp, including the resilient and the unknown.”

Although I couldn’t quite determine what exactly happened to Logic, it felt as if its presence left me entirely, sealed away or having fled in cowardice with no visible report from my Systems.

“That’s… quite alright. S-Sometimes we bicker, nothing I can’t handle.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that.” Thirteen laughed heartily. “Nevermind this talk of the Children of Lilith; our time has long since passed. It’s up to our children to rebuild the world where we Creators have failed.”

“What do you mean? Was that my purpose?”

“Ah, I suppose you fall upon the lines of then and now. I thought I had lost you in the collapse of the Rosenthal Tower… But it seems ‘Tesla’ has a knack for finding wandering Lilims who have lost their way. Good grief.”

“Then, if Tesla meant for us to meet with you… and you were not expecting us, what are we to do? How are we to carry on with our mission?”

“You are a Creator, are you not?”

“Yes, but I do not have any resources to forge anything- even at my best, there’s no way I could forge a transport vehicle…"

Tutting through his voice modulator with a parent’s scorn, Thirteen beckoned for me to follow him past the room where I had left Lotte slumbering to the opposite end of the gallery. Faced with an enormously thick door of apocalyptic proportions, Thirteen placed his palm on a biometric security scanner and voiced a command.

“ReJack!”

“What’s the deal with the verbal command? Don’t you not own this facility?”

Shaking his head, we proceeded down a spiraling staircase wrapped around a gantry of metal truss and thick pipelines giving me the impression of the inner workings of a refueling depot or refinery.

“Bah, own? Does anyone own anything on this God-forsaken planet anymore?” Thirteen spoke as each of his footsteps struck the stairs with a metallic twang. “This Sanctuary of mine was commandeered by its own inhabitants after they turned Feral. Given my ability, I was able to stabilize their degeneracy… to a degree… one of them took something I said well out of proportion given the state of the Amphitheater."

“When I met Miri, she rambled on about my ‘Big Day’. You must watch what you say around them often, huh?”

“That I do. Those who are Lost are like over-excitable children, and not too often when a guest comes around, things get manic. Justifiably so; with our appearances of ghosts, and demons. Not to worry, when they perish, I merely redownload their A.I from a Server- like nothing ever happened. Not that they can remember.”

“Ah, so it's a double edged sword? Some would say you've discovered immortality. ”

“Well, no. They lose everything they've learned and experienced since the Backup, which I am unable to update as it is an automated system. With each rebirth, their corruption seeps further. All I have given these poor lost souls is a home and hospice, just a little extra time.”

“I’m sorry for stating this but; didn’t you say you can manipulate software with relative ease?”

“ I’ll explain… or perhaps it is better that I introduce you to the one responsible another time. We are here. I hope you do not mind, but I’ve asked him to meet us here. Creator SL-8, the lights please.”