Chapter Text
Null's voice trembled with a mix of sadness and desperation as she spoke to Sable. She couldn't bear the weight of the situation any longer. Her eyes fixated on the test tube, where a lifeless blue stick figure child floated.
"This isn't right, Sable. I can't... I can't do this anymore," Null whispered, her voice heavy with anguish.
Sable's response was callous and dismissive. "What are you talking about? The kid is already dead anyway," he retorted, his tone lacking empathy.
With a press of a button on his tablet, the child inside the test tube began to squirm, exhibiting signs of distress, before eventually going still.
BEEEEEEEEEP
Sable let out a disappointed sigh, yet another test subject had met an unfortunate end. Null watched with deep concern, her hand pressed against the glass, as if trying to connect with the small stick figure inside.
"What happened? Is the child dead?" Null inquired, her voice filled with worry and compassion.
"Unfortunately, yes. I can't believe this," Sable responded, frustration evident in his voice as he threw his tablet onto his desk. Null continued to gaze at the motionless child, her heart heavy with sorrow.
"Sable, we have to put an end to this. It's inhumane," Null pleaded, her voice filled with conviction. Sable let out a dark laugh, dismissing her concerns. "We're tasked with creating super soldiers, Null. Don't be surprised at the lengths they want us to go," he scoffed before settling back into his chair.
Null nervously fiddled with the scarf around her neck, her mind racing for a solution. "That's not true. What if... what if we try to create one without using a living being?" she suggested, hope flickering in her eyes. Sable looked at her with a hint of interest. "Oh? And how do you propose we do that?" he asked, his tone teetering on the edge of mockery.
"We could utilize discarded files. After all, aren't we all built from files?" Null asked, her voice growing more desperate. Sable sighed wearily. "Null, it's not as simple as just 'files.' We are constructed through a complex code that even I struggle to comprehend," he explained, his weariness evident.
"If I had a file, would you... would you help me?" Null implored, her voice tinged with a mixture of hope and uncertainty.
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Sable examined the stack of images, videos, and documents that Null had gathered. They seemed to come from someone beyond the confines of a console—a human. Sable shuffled through the assortment, intrigued by the potential they held.
"So, this is what you've been talking about?" Sable questioned, his gaze fixed on the collection before him. "From a human..." he muttered as he continued to sift through the materials.
Among the items, there was a photograph, possibly of a teenager, although age was difficult for Sable to discern. The teen in the picture wore glasses and had a missing front tooth, captured in a joyful smile.
Null sought confirmation. "Is it doable?" she asked, her hope evident. Sable glared at the brown stick figure, considering the possibilities. "It's perfect, isn't it? Humans are powerful, aren't they?" Null inquired.
"That's true," Sable replied, a touch of humor in his voice. "I hope the person you've chosen isn't a serial killer," he joked.
Null looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. Sable sighed, setting the image he had been examining aside.
"Well, let me teach you how this will work," he said before releasing a heavy sigh.
Null nodded eagerly, ready to learn.
"Now, this is only a theory. Let's say I use these files, or rather, the memory of this... human you've chosen.
It will inherit their traits, talents, or perhaps even more. I'm not entirely certain yet," Sable explained, removing his glasses and placing them on his desk.
Sable proceeded to explain his theory further. "Let's say this child has killed 10 people, and during that time, they also created or trashed their files. All of those actions would manifest in the stick figure we create today," he elaborated.
Null couldn't contain her surprise. "So you're saying... you're cloning the human?!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with realization. The possibility that they could create a stick figure without sacrificing more lives filled her with a mix of relief and hope.
"Well, that's just a theory," Sable replied, shrugging nonchalantly.
Curiosity sparked within Null. "Will you be able to test this theory?" she asked, eager to explore the potential solution. Sable pondered for a moment, humming thoughtfully. "Perhaps," he mumbled, shrugging lightly before putting his glasses back on. "It would take ages to manifest a stick figure solely from these files," Sable remarked, acknowledging the complex nature of the process.
Null recalled Sable's earlier statement about his inability to comprehend or replicate the codes of a stick figure. "But if you can't comprehend or copy the codes, how will you do it?" she inquired.
Sable paused, considering the question. "While I did mention that we won't use a living stick figure, we still need to build its body. We can do so organically, using discarded body parts, or through machinery," he explained. "The choice is ours."
"That... we're strictly not allowed to create a machine. For Destroyers, we're limited to keeping them organic. This project would be rejected before it even starts," Null pointed out. Sable groaned in frustration before shrugging.
"Unless we use different parts that are no longer in use, an arm here, a leg there, then boom, we have a Destroyer," Sable suggested. Null nervously scratched her arm, a habit she had when things didn't go as planned.
"So, what do you think? Should we do it or not?" Sable pressed, looking expectantly at the contemplative brown stick figure.
"What if we make it powerful enough that we wouldn't need to create more Destroyers?" Null proposed, her voice filled with a glimmer of hope. Sable stared at her as if she were naive.
"Are you serious? What's one Destroyer against millions of problems when it should arise?" he countered, emphasizing the potential risks.
Null rested her head on her hands, feeling the weight of the situation. "I know, if we aren't successful, then you can continue with your Destroyers.
But if we do succeed, we should give everything we have created to it," she proposed, her voice filled with determination.
Sable scoffed at the idea. "That's just crazy. You'd be overcharging the damn thing," he argued. Null looked at him with pleading eyes. "Null, I'm telling you, this is crazy," he reiterated. "We're already in deep enough, Sable. What's one more crazy creation?" she responded, her voice tinged with a hint of desperation.
Null could no longer bear witnessing the lifeless bodies of children, adults, teens, and the elderly. The toll it had taken on her was unbearable.
Sable let out a sigh, realizing the depth of his sister's distress. "Alright, Null. I'll do it," he finally agreed.
"Thank you, Sable," Null expressed gratefully, embracing her older brother, who patted her back in return.
Sable pondered the next step. "What should we name it?" he wondered aloud, glancing down at the document file they had found.
The name 'Alan Becker' was written on it. "Alan Becker... hmm," Sable mused, intrigued by the name and its potential significance.
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Null observed the white stick figure, AB-006, as it stood silently, holding her hand and seemingly lost in its own world. "It's mute," she remarked, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and acceptance. Sable let out a sigh, understanding the challenge they faced. "You'll have to teach it to speak, Null. It's nothing like us, very different. Just look at its head," he explained, emphasizing the unique nature of AB-006.
Null clasped her hand protectively around AB-006, feeling a strong sense of attachment and responsibility toward it. "Please, let's not talk like that. Racism isn't something we should be teaching 06," she pleaded, reminding Sable and herself that AB-006 was not like them, with a complete head structure.
AB-006 had a distinct hole in its head, making it an unfamiliar and peculiar sight, but Null cared for it nonetheless.
Sable shifted the conversation, seeking information on AB-006's progress. "Has AB-006 shown any signs of the abilities we gave it?" he inquired.
Null hesitated for a moment, her expression filled with uncertainty, before shaking her head shakily. It seemed that AB-006 had not yet displayed any of the expected abilities they had hoped for.
Sable dismissed AB-006 as useless, not realizing the progress it had made. Null's anger welled up, causing her hand to shake, but she managed to compose herself and nod in response.
"I'll take AB-006 back to the white room," she murmured. "Alright, see you at dinner then," Sable replied, seemingly unaware of the significance of AB-006's abilities.
In truth, AB-006 had already demonstrated signs of its abilities. It had once ignited its own bed, but Null swiftly changed the bedding before anyone noticed. Despite Sable's dismissive attitude, Null believed in AB-006's potential.
"Here, 06, I want you to draw your friends. How about we create your friends?" Null spoke softly as she gently guided AB-006's hand to the paper, placing a pencil in its grip.
AB-006 looked down at the paper and began to draw a shaky stick figure that resembled itself. Null's excitement grew. "That's amazing, 06! I'm so proud of you," she exclaimed, her joy evident.
"What do you want to call it?" Null asked, curious about the name AB-006 had in mind. AB-006 slowly wrote the name it had thought of. "Cho? That's a nice name!" Null exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight. AB-006 followed suit, clapping its own hands and accidentally sending the pencil flying across the room.
Null chuckled warmly. "Alright, before clapping, we have to set down what we're holding, okay?" she explained, wagging a finger in front of AB-006, who slowly nodded in understanding.