PATTERING STEPS ACROSS THE CRUSHING WHEELS OF TIME

6.01 ❉ System activation

I wake up. Above my head, a grey ceiling. Where am I ? I sit up on the bed. The mattress is not too firm but not too soft, and a white sheet covers it. Covering my body, a grey bedcover. The cover is warm and soft, beckoning sleep.

The room itself is grey. Grey walls, grey wooden floor, grey ceiling. On the same wall as the bed is a grey door. Opposite to it is a grey desk, with two computer screens and a keyboard. One of the screens is black, the other is showing something, but I can't tell what. Opposite to the bed is a dresser and a fridge.

I stand up, leave the bed. Barefoot on the wood, I walk to the door, and try to open it. It's stuck. I can't open it. I rattle the door back and forth. Still won't open. There is a greyish window next to the door, but I can't tell what is behind it. I bang on it, call for help. Bang on the door.

Maybe the chair could break the door or the window ? I go take it at the desk, and while passing see that the black screen is in fact showing something. It's completely black, save for the bottom of the screen, where a cursor blinks, awaiting input through... I guess the keyboard ? Hm. Just above it is a line that says

>>SBT: Hello, Aria. Are you awake ? Type 'y' if so. Thank you.

Aria ? Is that... my name ? Probably. Well, it'll have to do. I don't have any memory. Not in the sense that i forgot them, more in the sense of 'I never had any'.

>>CMD: y

I look on the other screen. It displays what seems like a headcam of someone in a white metallic coffin. A female voice comes out of the somputer's speakers. "Good morning Aria." The voice is metallic and artificial, but still a bit feminine. "I imagine you have questions. Usually you would have been briefed, but unfortunately we are out of time."

Behind the voice, I can hear sounds. It sounds... I don't know what it sounds like. I think I can hear explosions.

>>CMD: what do you mean ? where am i ? why can't i get out ???

"I understand your concerns," the voice tries to reassure, "but this will have to wait." On the screen, the coffin opens. The person inside spills out, as indicated by the camera falling to the ground.

"Are you ok Aria ?" This was a different voice. A male voice, coming from off screen.

>>CMD: i think so
>>SBT: Sorry, Aria. The professor was not asking you. The both of us are referred to as 'Aria', but I will call you Aria only.
>>CMD: whatever

"Yes, professor" answers the female voice, "Though you should know that I am not Aria.
-Yes, yes, sorry, 21. Anyway, we're short on time. I know this isn't ideal but..."

Another explosion shakes the screen. After the tremor ends, the person holding the camera stands up. The room in which they stand is bathed in red and orange from the fires raging outside the windows. It looks like a laboratory, but debris have robbed it of its usual cleanliness. I see where the male voice came from.

A man, not old but not young either, in a lab coat. His dark hair is the same color as his glass frames, and his unkempt stubble matching his open coat and the hawaiian shirt beneath.

>>SBT: Aria, do you know what a serpent is ?
>>CMD: like a dragon or a snake no

"Professor, it seems our listener does not know what a serpent is. Could you explain it to her ?
-Ok, ok.

"Uh... we are currently underground. As in a whole underground city. Every city is underground since the surface is a frozen wasteland. Also, regularly, huge creatures attack these cities. Long snake-like monsters that destroy everything. We found that to defend ourselves, psychic powers work pretty well, and so I tried to create robots with souls, that could use these powers. Soulbot N°21, here present -" "That would be me" "-is the, well, twenty-first attempt at that. But only the third one that works."

"Explain now what role Aria serves.
-Yes, so, uh, you, Aria, the one in the room, is basically the trigger to these psychic powers. 21 has already underwent the training simulation, and kinda knows how to use these powers, but ultimately they're yours. I would've sent you to this training too, but uh... yeah we don't really have time."

Another explosion. I turn around on the chair and look at the window. The room I'm in hasn't changed at all. Psychic powers ? Undergound cities ? Robots with souls ? What ??

>>CMD: do you expect me to fucking believe you ? let me out of this room,, right now !

"I understand your concerns, Aria, but this matter is most pressing. Please cooperate with us, even if just for a short moment."

And then, another explosion. "Professor, I ask that you leave to the shelter. It is no longer safe to stay in the lab.
-You're right. I'll get going then, take care, both of you."

And there he goes. Why do I have to do this again ? "Aria, concentrate on my voice" This is so annoying. I just want to go home. "Aria, focus." Home ? I don't have a home ? God I just want to go to sleep. "ARIA !" Oh.

>>CMD: what

"Focus on my voice. Focus on what I say." I look at the screen again and oh god oh god oh god what the hell is that. The room outside is half destroyed, the ceiling and a few walls missing. Outside, a city is burning. Buildings are ruined, and the sky is lit up by the flames. The sky ? no, more like the bedrock ceiling. Yeah ok we're in an underground city its all fine.

Except NO IT'S NOT god fucking hell this shit is absolutely massive. A great snake like thing, waaaaay taller than the building and so, so fucking long. It's body is red-brown-orange-white, it kinda looks like feathers ? and then the head is just. A big light with eyes.

God. This ? Is a serpent ?? Oh god.

6.02 ❉ Great tunnel serpent

Ok so... we're really going to do this ? I do not want to be here. The bed beckons. "Aria. Concentrate. You can do this. First, try to do this within the room. Put both of your hands on the desk, and try to reach out and move something. No, not like that, reach out with the arm in your mind."

I do that. Uhm. Hnng. Guh. I can't do it. The fridge is too heavy and it slams back into the ground.

>>CMD: sorry i can't do it
>>SBT: Aria.
>>CMD: im sorry ok !! youll have to do this alone. >>SBT: Aria. Please.
>>CMD: its true !! i tried my hardest !! i just can't do it !!

"ARIA !"

This had been from the screen. "Aria, the fridge moved. There is a webcam on the computer." Oh.
-Wait can you hear me too ?
-Loud and clear. Now listen to me. You can do this. Don't let the details bog you down. Here's what you're going to do.
-I'm listening
-Just like before, you're going to reach out. And you're going to move something outside the room, like a debris or something.
-Ok. Wait uh how do-
-What did I say about details ? You're going to do this, wether you can or not. Now focus."

I do focus. Just like before I try to reach out with my mind's arm. Toward uh... this debris. Yeah. Move this debris around. Just like...

Suddenly the camera shakes and moves out of the way. I don't see the debris anymore. "What the fuck ? Can you at least stand still ?" But as I say that...

The camera looks back to where it was just a few seconds ago, and black spears stab from the earth there. Oh. "Focus on one of the spears. Even if you don't see it anymore.
-How can I do that ??
-When you hold something in your hand, you don't need to see it to know it's there. This is the same. You just need to hold it like you would normally.
-Makes sense. I'll try.
-I'll stay here for a few seconds."

Okay. Okay just a few seconds. Just focus... And... Hold it like you would normally... "And then ?" Without hesitation, the artificial voice answers. "Throw it at the serpent."

The spear tears through the air without a sound, and stabs the serpent so deeply that it's almost entirely in its body. The creature writhes and cries out.

"Now try to take as many spears as possible !" cries out the voice, and the camera swings around as the robot flies wildly around, dodging a sudden rain of black spears. Focus again... I take a spear. It stays hanging in the air. I reach out and... take another. My mind's arm isn't limited by number. I have as many as I want. I reach out and... grab a spear... but the first one falls down...

"Don't worry about me. Just take a spear, then another with another arm. Like you would with your hands."

Two... Three... I throw them at the snake. They stab as deep as before. Ok, ok. But it's still moving ? Uhh... "Reach for them and move them around !" Oh. Good idea, I reach out with my mind's arms for the spears already stabbed, and I turn and stab and swish inside the snake's body. It cries out even louder than before, and then stops moving. It collapses. Is it dead ?

"It's over. You can stop now.
-Oh wow. That's uh... wow.
-These are serpents.
-Now what ?
-We should go look for the professor.
-Oh uh, do you know where the shelter is ?
-Yes. You should rest a bit after that effort, though. I need you to be in great shape, full of energy.
-Alright. See you."

6.03 ❉ Number 12 [HOLY]

>>CMD: where are we ?
>>SBT: Another city.
>>CMD: have you found the professor ?
>>SBT: No, people at the shelter told me he had left to this city. But as you can see... Yeah.

Indeed. This city is ruined. The buildings have all collapsed, and long tunnel-like zones of devastation run along the city. There is no sound. "Was this... Caused by a serpent ?"

A nod. "By the way, do you have a name I can call you ? Something better than robot or whatever
-Call me 21. I am the twenty-first model of soulbots.
-Alright."

Alright. So uh... "Now what ?" 21 Seems to think for a while. "Try to move some of the debris away. We're still searching for the professor." I can do that. I'm getting the hang of it.

As we search, and as I move the debris, the reality of it hits me. Sure, I'm looking at this from a computer screen... But this is real. These were buildings before. Buildings where people lived. I can only hope these people could escape.

After a while though, we find something. We don't find it under a debris. We find it flying, above the ruins. 21 gets closer. It seems to be a statue draped in a black veil. The statue is praying.

"Number 12." "NUMBER 21." the statue answers.

>>SBT: This is a previous model of soulbot. The twelfth model, one that works on faith.
>>CMD: faith ? also is this the second one of the three working soulbots ?
>>SBT: It is indeed the second one. It works because it has a strong faith. This faith is what drives it. It manifests into its psychic powers.
>>CMD: wasn't this what the professor tried to do ?
>>SBT: It was deemed incomplete, because this extreme faith meant it would not be ideal in rescue missions. It only ever uses its power for actions it deems faithful, and for some reason seems to believe the serpents are agents of god.
>>SBT: hm

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, SINFUL CARCASS ?
-We are searching for the professor. His lab got attacked by a serpent and heresay told us he was here.
-THERE IS NO ONE HERE. I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS HOLY PLACE FOR WEEKS AND NOT A SOUL HAS BREACHED ITS PEACE, SAVE FOR YOU, ARIA.
-Then I am to assume that he isn't here.
-BUT SAY, ARIA. I AM CURIOUS. HAVE YOU EXPLAINED ANYTHING TO YOUR PROGRAM ?
-I don't know what you are talking about."

[CHATLOG START PROG.S12 && PROG.S21]

>>S12: I KNOW YOU ARE HERE, INNER ARIA.
>>S21: huh ? what are they talking about, 21
>>S21: There is nothing here. Only me
>>S12: I AM NOT TALKING TO YOU, '21'

[S12 CHANGED NAME OF PROG.S21 TO PROG.ISA]

>>S12: THIS WILL MAKE THINGS EASIER
>>ISA: huh ? what ? whats happening ?
>>S21: Cease this, 12.
>>S12: SO YOU REALLY DID NOT TELL HER ? HOW CRUEL OF YOU.
>>ISA: what are they talking about ? 21 answer me
>>S21: Very well. Aria, the way the professor managed to instill a soul into the twenty first model of soulbot, is by having a chip replicate a human brain. This chip develops a soul after a start-up period.
>>ISA: what does this have to do with me ?
>>S21: Aria...
>>S12: YOU ARE THE CHIP. IT'S YOU. YOU ARE SBT21'S SOUL.
>>ISA: im... huh ?
>>S21: ...

[CHATLOG END]

What... ? I'm a program. HUH ? I'm not real ? What does that ? Wh-

>>SBT: Aria. You must be confused.
>>CMD: yeah no joke. why didnt you tell me ?
>>SBT: I didn't found the time.
>>CMD: right
>>SBT: The virtual training. In this training, you would have learned that. Unfortunately it had to be bypassed because we were out of time.
>>CMD: and couldn't it have been done later ?
>>SBT: Not really. The professor would have guided you in that training. This is why I wanted to find him.
>>SBT: In my own training, I was told to hide that information from you, and that you should learn that in your own training.

Alright. I can accept that. But I still want to do that training. And also where the hell did the professor run off to ?

While 21 and me were arguing, number 12 fled. Whatever, not my problem.

6.04 ❉ Marionette general

21 is flying at highspeed in a tunnel. In a daze, I watch the walls of the cave pass by us. After our conversation with number 12 yesterday, 21 decided to go look in another city. The city we were approaching was apparently one of the smaller cities. I wonder what it looks like. After all, I've never seen a city that wasn't in ruins.

After a short time we emerge from the tunnel. The city is... It's fucking huge !!! What ??? Great black stone wall raise nearly to the ceiling of the cave. In the middle of the city a huge tower rises over it all, linking to the ceiling.

>>CMD: IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU CALL A SMALL CITY
>>SBT: This city has gotten bigger. It should have been smaller.

We land and approach the gates. Guards tell us to fuck off, but 21 stays calm and asks why the city got so big. "Er, uh... There's a new guy in charge. Before we were just worried about living and satisfying the serpents so that they don't ruin us.

"But a new general rose to the top and now she's the one ruling the city ! She has a completely different philosophy : we should just fight off the serpents. But anyway, go piss off. The gate is closed.
-I want to talk to this general. We're looking for someone who might interest her.
-And I'm looking for you to go away.
-I myself could interest the general.
-I can already tell you that no, the general wouldn't care about you."

"And I can tell you that, no, she would indeed be interested." A serious voice had spoken from a grate in the gate. From a smaller door in the gate, a man in a military uniform appeared. "I am lieutenant Eschire, from the city council. This individual is exactly the kind of person we are searching for. Let it in, I will escort it to HQ."

Without complaining the guard just lets us in. I have to admit this Eschire guy is a bit threatening. Well anyway, the inside of the city is grim. There is almost no one in the streets except for small troupes of armed soldiers, probably keeping watch. The buildings are all square too, made of concrete.

The further we approach the giant tower, the more the architecture around us changes. The houses are smaller, in more diverse materials, with more diverse architecture. And eventually here we are : the biggest motherfucking building ever built.

The tower is... of undefinite shape. It seems it was built in a pillar of the cave. But weren't these caves carved out already ? this is a bit confusing.

Eschire makes us enter. The inside is also made of simple stone, all carved out. Red tentures accentuate that this building is for military purposes only. He takes us to a spiral staircase, and up we go. And up and up and- god did they have to make this tower so fucking big ?

❉

Eventually we reach the top. I think its the top at least. Eschire opens the door to a large office, makes us enter, then leaves.

The inside of the office is just like the rest of the tower, carved out in the stone. A large window embedded in the wall lets us see the city. A figure is seated at a large desk. With the light coming from behind we can't see their face.

"Finally, you arrive. I am general Yuletone, the leader of this city.
-You aren't the leader of anything, general." Huh ?
-What do you mean ?" She stood up and started to walk around, looking through the window.

"When me and my army arrived to this city, it was a humble town. It was under the domination of the serpents, at their mercy. We decided to change that. We made the city bigger, from our own hands, and protected the lives of all those who now live here.

"We reversed the balance. From fearing the serpents, we became feared by the serpents, all of this from our own hard work." After saying that last sentence she turned to face us. She has a big scar over her left eye.

"So you say. Yet the deployment of troupes in this city is inneficient. You also say you built this city, but it seems quite tortuous and unfit for military operations. And finallly, you should know that a wall, no matter how big, will not stop a serpent."

Yuletone looks at us surprised lol. "I can only conclude that someone is controlling you from the shadow, to have given you this influence and power.

"So can I see this person ? You are obviously not the one I am looking for."

❉

The gate slams behind us. "And don't come back," spits Eschire.

6.05 ❉ Infiltration in a maze

>>SBT: The direct approach did not work.
>>CMD: evidently so.
>>SBT: And so we will take a second approach. Their night cycle should start soon.
>>CMD: night cycle ?
>>SBT: The first attempts of underground cities tried to have different life cycles for each person or each role, in an attempt to keep the city going at all times. But over time, they realized this was not ideal. It was harder for people to sleep, and overall organization of life took a lot of effort to coordonate the cycles. So, nowadays, underground cities all operate under a single continuous cycle. The night segment of their cycle should start soon.
>>CMD: i see. so what will we do ?
>>SBT: I will fly over the wall, and will locate an informatic structure. Then, you will be uploaded to that structure to gather information.
>>CMD: ...
>>SBT: I know.
>>CMD: ok. ill do it. what do you want me to look for ?
>>SBT: For a person. I want you to look for the person pulling the strings here. They are probably not in this city, but there is a great chance that the professor went looking for them.
>>CMD: do you have a theory as to who it would be ?
>>SBT: Search for a man named Zachary Juror. He was a colleague of the professor. >>CMD: alright

The city below is silent. Lights have all turned off. It's nighttime. 21 lowers herself in the airspace. She seems to be looking around but it's too dark to see. Maybe she has a visor or something. She starts walking in a direction, and after a few minutes she arrives at a closed door. This is probably one of the older areas of town since the door isn't a bare metal one.

A metallic clang and the door falls in. I catch it with my mind's arms. Wouldn't want to wake up anyone. Inside is a short cramped space with lots of wires on the ground. 21 advances a bit, and then we enter a server room.

>>SBT: Aria, I'm going to upload you to the server. Communication between us will still be possible, although delayed. Only send messages if it's important. After uploading you I will leave town. Tell me when you are done and I will come as soon as possible.
>>CMD: alright, take care

The door in my room opens. Behind it is a completely black space. I really am a program, huh. Just an imitation.

I enter the dark space, and behind me the room gets smaller and smaller, as if I was flying away. Far away in front of me, some blinking lights. Neon signs, vertical pillars, blinking strings. I start to look.

First of all, I search a bit for the professor. I find some surveillance footage of him coming to the fortress, talking with Yuletone, then leaving. Sadly no sound was recorded. In the footage of Yuletone following the exchange, she's typing on a computer. Probably talking with someone. Maybe she's warning Juror that the professor is coming.

I decide to search for that information. After a bit of searching, I find some chatlogs.

>>ESC: You will know where to find me, soldier.
>>GPO: im coming for you, running rushing frough the nigt
>>ESC: And I await, silently, for your hands to deliv-

Nope.

I find another one, although it's encrypted. I can still read the header : [CHATLOG START USER.ULE && OWNR.JUR]

The date tag matches up, and so does the time. I copy the log, and send a message to 21.

>>CMD: i found a good enough lead. coming back, do i come back at the same spot ? >>SYS: Sending message...

Takes a while to send. I decide to stay here and search a bit more. Maybe decrypt that message.

After about half an hour, I get a response.

>>SBT: Unfortunately I have been found. Do not panic. You can find me nearby. I am in a prison cell near the gate we entered through. The prison is against the outer wall, and my cell is closest to the inside of the wall, on the ground floor. Try to reach me by using various objects and networks : since in your current form you are digital, you can easily skip from object to object. When we are together, we will be able to escape.

Oh.

I get a move on. I need to find how to get out of this server first, which should be easy as it's the central server of this city. 21 said I should find connected objects... So stuff like computers, phone, robots, security cameras.

I find the communication portion of the server, and take a ride to the security computer, which monitors all cameras. It should be easy to find the prison, since it would make sense for it to have many cameras.

>>SBT: However, they seem to want to deconstruct me and learn how I am built. Please hurry. >>CMD: im coming !! don't worry !! >>SYS: Sending message...

I don't wait for the message to send. Taking into account the time differences, 21 should have been captured about... ten to fifteen minutes ago. This doens't give me a lot of time.

I watch the various camera feeds. One is indeed a camera of the prison on the ground floor. Its the storage room. I rush to it and

6.06 ❉ The shadows

Black space. Blinking stars around me. Everything spins. Echoes of hushed voice. Only fragments understood. "...should we..." "...she is..." "...for safety reasons..."

Rush through the concrete corridors. The cell neares to the city, furthest from the wall. Found it. A great rumble outside. A sad robot inside.

The phone approaches 21, who takes it and connects it to herself. Back in my room.

"I found where the professor is, he's with Juror like you guessed.
-Good, two birds with one stone. We will have to run, however, a serpent just appeared. Could you do us the honors ?
-Of course."

With many arms I reach to the wall, and it caves in. 21 Rushes outside. The ceiling is the same color of flame of when I woke up at first, and a great serpent is destroying the city. As 21 had said, the wall did nothing to stop that.

21 takes flight. I make countless of the blue cubes, and launch them at the serpent. "You learned to make constructs I can see.
-Constructs ?
-These cubes, these are I.T constructs"

21 slices the air to the serpent, and it plunges underground. With my mind's arms, I reach out and lift buildings around into a circle around us.

21 watches warily for the serpent. Then suddenly, a great light comes from below and it emerges. I launch all the buldings toward it, and 21 plunges after them.

The serpent discards the buildings, taking only a few ones full on, and then 21 plunges straight into its head. I reach with the arms inside, and tears the serpent from within.

It writhes and screams, then plunges back underground. 21 looks around for a few seconds. "It's gone. It fled.
-Oh woah. I didn't know I had gotten that good.
-This was some very good fighting indeed. You're learning to do more with your psychic powers.
-For now we should go look for the professor.
-Yes, and for Juror. If what I remember of him is correct, we should hurry."

6.07 ❉ Number 3 [EMBRYO]

[CHATLOG START USER.ULE && OWNR.JUR]
>>ULE: Juror, wake up. I have finally found that which we need.
>>JUR: Yuletone, you should know not to bother me for 'nothing'. You know what I 'do' to 'annoyances'.
>>ULE: This is not a false alert. Guerra came to me.
>>JUR: Guerra ? Oh, this is a 'good' thing. Finally.
>>ULE: I have sent her to you. She should arrive soon.
>>JUR: Wait. You 'sent her' ?
>>ULE: Yes. I would have escorted her but we need all the manpower we can have.
>>JUR: I DON'T 'CARE' ABOUT YOUR 'MANPOWER'
>>ULE: I'm sorry sir, had I known-
>>JUR: Shut up. I have 'no doubt' she will come. What I'm 'worried' about are her lap dogs.
>>ULE: Oh.
>>JUR: Don't 'oh' me. This will have 'repercussions', Yuletone. You will not 'get away' from this ordeal 'unscathed'.
[CHATLOG END]

This was the chatlog of the conversation I found between Juror and Yuletone. 21 confirmed to me that Guerra was the professor's name. It was an old name he did not use anymore.

Using the geographical metadata from the conversation, I traced it down to a fortress. 21 was rushing toward it right now.

"Aria, I sense the presence of the last active soulbot. I have to warn you though, they won't be on our side.

"This one is the 3rd soulbot, nicknamed Embryo. It is called such because of its main feature. To emulate a soul, it was implemented with an embryo. It has been years since it was put into function, and now the embryo has grown. We can only guess that the reason of Embryo's hostility is because of that."

"Understood."

❉

After a few hours, we emerged from a tunnel into a large cavity. In the middle of the cave, towering, a fortress. It stands tall and grim, its many windows and lookout posts dark. Juror is expecting us.

In front of the fortress, Embryo floats lazily. Grotesque spectacle. Number 3 itself is a half spherical machine. Under it, connected with many tubes, a figure in foetal position. Dark hair marking its head, but its long and thin, fragile limbs are all curled up on themselves, as if they had never been used.

A computer voice, with no human quality except for its word, rises out from the machine. "Finally, number 21. You come. We have awaited your arrival, and finally we meet.
-Number 3.
-For an obscure reason, Embryo wanted to see you. But now it distresses them."

Indeed, from the curled figure, a wail. It's trembling, shaking, crying. "Oh, Embryo, is she distressing you ? Don't worry then." 21 assumes a combattive stance "We'll just take care of the naughty lady."

The Embryo stops shivering and a warm glow surrounds it. 21 dodges to the sside and a large beam shoots out from Number 3, just where 21 stood.

Using the momentum of her dodge, 21 rushes Embryo and punches it, but Number 3 rotates to block the punch. "Aria !" But that won't stop me. With my mind's arm I reach through 3 and punch Enbryo. Of course, it tries to stop me with its own arms. But, even if I'm a simulation, I know how it feels to uncurl my limbs, to take a stretch. Embryo falls down, and becomes a red splatter below.

Immediately, 3 drops down to retrieve it. "That bought us some time, but we should hurry", 21 says while rushing inside the fortress.

6.08 ❉ Juror

The dark, empty halls of the fortress. They ring hollow, filled with 21's footsteps. This building is sad. It feels like long, long ago, it was full of life, of desires and ambition. But now, nothing is left.

The fortress is cold as well. 21 explains to me that most of the time, underground buildings are heated using geothermal energy, but older buildings sometimes worked on regular heating, by burning something. This was probably one such building, and Juror did not deem it necessary to heat it up just for him. Or at least, not the whole place.

I wonder who Juror is. Who the professor is as well. I know neither of them, yet 21 always tell me how important they are.

❉

"Juror.
-Aria. You've come. Guerra already left.
-What is your goal, Zacharie ?
-Huff..." Juror stands up, with great difficulty.

"Long, long, long ago, the earth was very different. Only few records persist now, muddied with legends. These records were written by travellers and merchants, such as Sikeja, Kiwalo, and more recently, Rorhk.

"These records all tell of the same things. A great light in the sky, giving warmth and light to the world.
-Like a shimmer star ?
-No, not quite.

"In nature it is the same as a shimmer star, but in scale it differs. It was a huge star, just a little bit smaller than the nebula in the sky. It was also very old, it had lasted for millions of years.

"It was called the sun."

21 doesn't answer. She thinks for a bit, then speaks. "I find that hard to believe. And this star just... disappeared ?
-Yes.

"More precisely it was destroyed. The records are quite vague as to who, how, and why, but the fact remains. It was destroyed along with another being, the dice god.

"The dice god was the figurehead of a great religious movement, called the followers of Ubu. This god disappeared just before the sun did.

"Something interesting about the dice god, is that it was associed with beings called angels, whose appearance is similar to the serpents. Yes indeed ! I, Zacharie Juror, have found the origin of the serpents, as well as their residence !

"The serpents reside... In the core of the earth !"

While telling all that, The old man's expression became more and more dignified, until he had a proud face, standing tall and proud.

"And now, what will you do ?
-My my, dear Aria, what else ? I'm going to exterminate the serpents, and I'm going to do it with you.
-What of professor Perre ?
-Who ? Oh, you mean Guerra. She agreed to you participating."

Her voice full of contempt, 21 replies "Juror, you are stuck in the past."

Then, she leaves.

6.09 ❉ Voyage to the centre of the earth

We don't really have a choice. Neither of us wants to do this, but we don't have a choice. We have to help Juror in his expedition, because only he knows where the professor is, and will only tell us after his demented expedition.

Here we are, back to Agartha, Yuletone's city. Since there is a tunnel that probably leads to the earth's core in this city, and that it's under Juror's rule, this is where we will start. The expedition team consists of us, Juror, Yuletone, Eschire, and a few other scientists and soldiers.

The tunnel is at a slight angle, a gaping mouth in the ruins of a city. 21 flies to the middle of the maw and looks down. "We're going to go there, aren't we ?
-Yes. We have to do it.
-For the professor.
-For Perre."

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The trek is long. The tunnel is dark. There is no light, neither ahead nor behind, other than our lamps.

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where they are going no one can save them

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Still nothing, except the endless night. I'm glad I don't have to walk myself. Sometimes I communicate a bit with 21, but we have nothing to tell each other.

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no one or no thing, at least

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21 tries to convince Juror, but he's dead set on his goal. Yuletone won't talk to her, and seems scared of Juror. Eschire too, although he's more friendly to us.

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in the bowels of the earth, in the dark shaft leading to the heart

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Everyone is scared of Juror. None of us know how he will react at any point. We're all tired, all on edge.

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not even the light of the sun can reach them.

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not even the light of the sun has reached them in hundred of years.

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The more we go down, the more uneasy I feel. We shouldn't be here. No one should.

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at this point is it even foolishness ? or is it a strong desire to die and destroy oneself. look at them shiver, and hear their whispers.

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they are afraid after all. in this endless night they have shrouded themselves in...
i wonder...
is there even a point for them to go on ?
what drives them. them, the humans, but not only them. what drive the angels. what drives the ideals. what drives the renegades. what drives the fallens. what drives the gods. what drives th

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does a falling rock truly want to fall of its own desire ? or is that desire a consequence of its circumstances

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After about two weeks of going down, we arrive. The core.

A dark icosahedron, in the perfect middle of the planet. Countless passages. Juror marks the one we came from.

He sends Yuletone to go near the core, to take a sample.

She takes a blade, and advances on the platform. She raises the blade. Brings it down.

A dark piece falls out. She kicks it toward Juror

She screams.

Writhes.

Her body disintegrates. From within, a thin serpent comes out. Juvenile.

It slithers. It springs.

Many fall. 21 shouts. I wake up, and crush the serpent with my mind's arms.

Only two are left. Juror and us.

6.10 ❉ Eternal past

If the trip down was nerve wrecking, the trip back up is twice as worse. No one is left, only Juror. He still doesn't tell us where Perre is.

"What will you do with that sample ?
-You just witnessed. Simply by being in proximity with that material, Yuletone's soul was changed to that of a serpent, and her body followed suit right after. With that sample, I could destroy all the beasts above and make a perfect world for humanity.
-Juror, you are crazy. Those on the surface deserve to live just as much as we do.
-And yet, who was it who built these cities ?

"Who was it who built you ? While they are stuck at the farming age, in pitiful buildings with no automation, we, humans, built everything you see around us. We, and we alone, carved ourselves a home within the earth itself, and continuously defend against the serpents. Humans are the superior species, the most perfect of all beings. It's only fair for me to want to destroy all else.

"And it's you that I hate. Yes ! You. You represent everything I hate with the world. Humans were created perfect, yet your creator tried to change herself to something else. And worse, she wants to help humans evolve ! She wants to let loose the reigns of society, and she wants to help the beasts ! Guerra disgusts me.

"What she doesn't know, is that by now a great number of the beasts have been extinguished. Before going on this expedition, I bartered with the carnivorous beasts. I assured them I would provide them with meat even if they ate all of their brethren ! And they did.

"As we speak, the "earthbound" beasts, as they call themselves, must have been completely eaten by the "sungazing" beasts. And soon, the sungazing beasts will realize their mistake and will starve to death."

>>CMD: please please please make him shut up
>>CMD: please punch him
>>SBT: No. As much as I want to, he is the only one who knows where the professor is.

"And now if you'll excuse me, I have somethin important to create." With that, Juror leaves.

6.11 ❉ New noah

But this time, the old man isn't waiting in his armchair. Instead, he tinkers on the machines, types on the computers. He builds something.

"Juror."

"So you did come. I was wondering if you would ever ! Well anyway, What business do you have.
-I want to know where the professor is.
-Oh you're going to love this. I sent them away on a mission to the surface. With how hungry the beasts must be I doubt she'll ever come back !"

21 is speechless. While I never really knew Perre, this is hardly a fate he deserves. This is hardly a fate anyone deserves.

"Let me take a guess too. You came here to stop me ? Let me at least explain what I'm doing. The creation of the perfect world of humanity takes two step.

"In a first step, all threats are destroyed. This will be done with what I call the Deluge. This device will amplify the power of the Core Fragment, and will send it througout the world. With precise calibration, I discovered it's possible to use the innate properties of the fragment, not to turn souls into something else, but to simply erase souls. This wave will remove the souls of all the beasts, killing them.

"The second step is simple as well. I only have to send seeds of humanity. For this, I built the Ark. Just like Noah's ark, this one will contain many specimens of the most perfect species. I have also genetically modified those seeds to inhibit their evolution. Humans will be perfect and eternal."

"Do you realize what you're doing ?" 21 breaks from her trance. "Do you realize the horror of your acts ?
-You would never understand my genius.
-This is not genius. This is horror. You want to play god, knowing that you are not the one who will suffer from this.
-No, you would never understand. I will freeze this world, create a utopia. This current world disgusts me."

21 takes a step forward. "Aria. We have to stop him." We have to. But... I've never killed someone. Even if its a horrible person, will I be able to live with myself ?

I unfold my mind's arms. And someone comes in. A familiar voice. "Stop, Aria." 21 turns around. In heavy snow clothes, the professor.

"There is no need to go that far. I don't want to see any more of my creations covered in blood.
-Guerra, you have always been a pacifist. I thank you for letting me continue.
-I'm not going to let you continue. Do you remember that old project to compress the nebula into a star again ?
-You wouldn't have-
-I did."

Perre took a switch out of his pocket, and pressed a button. A tremor shook the fortress. "Sunbeam successfully activated. Unfortunately, the final version wasn't completed, and so we don't know what will happen."

The computer in the room pings with an email. Zacharie reads it out loud. "Sir, the surface observatories have detected a great beam rising from your fortress. It shot straight to the nebula, and seven shimmer spots are currently forming."

Perre rushes to Juror. "I will stop you once and for all now !"

Bang.

I thought I was used to loud sounds. But this one was deafening. Even after the sound, Zacaharie's laugh is muted. The sound of the professor's body hitting the ground. Aria's run back in the corridors.

6.12 ❉ Serpentine flood

There is something I don't quite understand from Juror's plan. He said he wanted to destroy the surface, then reseed it with humanity. But that would mean that the humans underground would disappear, right ? Or maybe they would have died from the Deluge.

As we exit the fortress, a rumble. Then suddenly, serpents. Thousands of them, emerging from the ground, all thin. Just like the serpent Yuletone had turned into. What's happening ?

All the serpents have a black body, covered in the same material as the earth's core. Were... Were the serpents turning others into serpents ?

As if to confirm that, several guards run outside, scream, and collapse as serpents leave their bodies.

Did Zacharie foresee this ?

"There are too many to stop," 21 says before running back inside. "Aria... I'm sorry."

We rush back to Juror's room. He's preparing to launch the Deluge and the Ark. "Not so fast, Juror." 21 advances toward him, unstoppable. She pushes Juror aside when he tries to stop her.

She undoes a latch on the Deluge and the Ark, two machines combined into one. Finds a slot for a chip, removes the already inserted one.

"Aria I... I'm sorry. Everyone will die, except you. I'm sorry I have to leave you behind in this world.
-21 !" My protests are unheard. "21 !" I cry out.
-Please, guide the next world onto another path."

She takes out the soul chip -the one on which i reside- and without hesitation, slides it in the machine.

I cry out. I don't want this. I don't want to leave them. So shortly after coming into this world, already leaving it. Why did this have to happen ?

Why did Juror have to do this ? What was the root of the chain, that began all this ? Whatever it is, I hate it. And if everything I know was brought out from it, then i hate everything as well. I hate it all.

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But, as the bedrock rushes past, and as the nebula appears, I regret it. I regret that I couldn't have been kinder.

The past is but an endless source of sorrow.

And the future ? The future. 21 told me to guide the next world. But will I be able to do that ?

Can I stop the Flood ? The more I think about it, the more I want to stop the Ark, and not the Flood. Whatever the inhabitants of this world are, human or beast, one thing remains constant.

They will never forgive.

War is always roaming.

Revenge is inevitable.