《b4 + a5T3R》Asleep + Awake

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I was in a dark space. I could feel the vast emptiness of it. It was calming. As if I hadn't felt it before in ages.

I knew that there was more to this space. Rather it was something I felt. However, at this point, I knew nothing. Not my name, not my identity, nor what I was.

I took a deep breath unconsciously, startling myself with the noise that came from my own body. I jumped into the black expanse with surprise. I could see my skin on my hands. It was like rediscovering what it was like to be a human. I didn't know what to do. In fact, I had no idea what to at all. It was as if the instructions for the most basic of things were removed from my mind, my instincts overwritten. An overwhelming sense of helplessness taking over.

Then came a light out of the bleakness.

It was dim at first, but then it came closer and became brighter until it was like a glowing star in the vast nothingness.

Its light touched all that existed but there was nothing there but me.

"BEGINNING STARTUP SEQUENCE"

Its loud words caught me off guard. It spoke but I could not understand. I shivered in fear, its large presence had invaded my once peaceful area.

"MEMORY LOSS DETECTED, BEGINNING BACKUP SEQUENCE"

"ERROR: BACKUP FILES NOT FOUND"

"ERROR: LEVEL 9 ACCESS DENIED"

The bright light loud noises had frightened me to the point where I was shivering in a ball. I could not understand what it was doing here. What did it want from me? Why was it here? Why me? Why?

"ERROR: ENVIRONMENT UNIDENTIFIED"

"REQUESTING PERMISSION PERMISSION PERMISSION PERMISSION>>>"

"DATA CORRUPTION DETECTED>>>INITIATE RESTART SEQUENCE"

It had disappeared. The light was gone. My peace was back. The soothing darkness was back.

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"RESTART SUCCESSFUL"

I didn't get it. Why was it back? It had just left.

"LACK OF LANGUAGE PROCESSES DETECTED IN USER 0"

"PLEASE SELECT A LANGUAGE PACKAGE"

The voice had stopped. My head was tucked into my legs with tears flowing downwards. My eyes refused to open in the fear that the light would come to harm me. I couldn't bring myself to move. I was too frightened.

Why did it have to come for me? These were my thought but they weren't words just feelings.

I looked in the direction of the light where the blinding white had disappeared to be replaced with a slightly transparent blue screen.

I gathered my courage to walk up to it where I see rounded boxes. Each of them with different symbols of them. I had never seen them before. They were so foreign. So intriguing. Despite all my apprehensions I took my hand and put it on the screen along with that lighting up many boxes.

I was confused. What had happened? Why did it change?

I put my hand on it again. And more of them lit up.

I was amused, it was like a game. Though at that time all I felt was joy. Maybe it was because I was able to feel something that wasn't painful for the first time. Maybe it was because I like that the color changed when I pressed it. But it was enjoyable none the less.

At a point, I had pressed all of the squares. All of the squares were the same color. Except for one. A brilliant light green.

My hand went to press it and the moment it did the blue screen disappeared. Then it came again. I thought it was gone. Why was it back? Why hadn't it left?

"ALL SELECTED PACKAGES WILL NOW BE UPLOADED TO USERS MIND"

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"NOTICE: THIS CANNOT BE UNDONE WITH CURRENT RESOURCES"

"BEGINNING UPLOAD"

All of the sudden a sharp pain ran through my head. As if something was using fire to etch something into my very being. It hurt.

It hurt a lot. As though my mind was being ripped apart and put back together a hundredfold. As though someone was moving wires through my brain and connecting them.

Then it came.

A flood of knowledge. Every known word in existence was being put into my mind. Each sound having countless meanings. It was as if my entire existence before was ignorant. My thoughts went from ideas and feeling to words. Countless words to describe every known emotion. Half of them didn't make much sense. The noises of the light before began to make sense to me.

Then its voice resounded once more. However, this time not frightening at all. Its voice now a soothing tone.

"Hello. I am Drive A.I. Autumn."

"Your condition is no longer critical. I am removing life support."

My thoughts were a mess at this point. My mind confused.

"Wait? What?"

The voice seemed to hear my voice and uttered the words.

"Bye-bye!"

I could feel my face contort in annoyance but I didn't understand why.

Then the light faded. The pitch black turning a lighter color. My eyes opened. To see myself in a building with a seemingly once beautiful white interior.

My eyes drifted downward where I found myself on a table. I slid off the table trying to stand my legs uneasy even while keeping a hand on the table.

After I stabilized myself I began exploring. I found myself a soft tattered shirt with intricate designs. I decided to wear it despite its condition since it seemed of high quality either way.

The voice of the bright light in my head was silent but my own words resounded. I could feel that it was there but I didn't know how to find it. How to talk to it. My own existence was a mystery to me let alone that light's voice.

I wandered to the area I was in. There were windows in the area where I could see outside. The ruins of a once beautiful city in ashes still looking as majestic as it did in its prime. I couldn't believe it. I wanted to explore. I wanted to go beyond the edge of what I could see.

But then something struck me.

*Although I woke up here wasn't I on the road before this?*

Then I heard footsteps behind me from the dark hallway that led to the inside the building. A figure slowly emerged. It was carrying a large sack on its back and seemed not in the least exhausted. It was a girl. Her eyes emerald green, her hair blue, her skin tanned but only slightly.

She saw me and dropped her bag. I tilted my head in confusion.

*Why is she staring at me? Did I do something?*

She began to run towards me. She took me in her arms and embraced me. I realized the stature of my body was not quite that of the one in my mind.

Then she began crying.

"I'm so glad you're up now."

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